Cherokee County breaks ground on recreation center to be completed in late 2022

Cherokee County officials and residents gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 9 for the construction of the new L.B. Ahrens Recreation Center to build at Cherokee Veterans Park, according to a press release.

The Board approved the construction contract on July 20 to Reeves Young, LLC for $10.4 million and an additional $1.58 million in a county-controlled contingency.

The first phase of the recreation center, known in short as “The Buzz” in honor of former Commission Chairman L.B. “Buzz” Ahrens, includes a double gym, open fitness area, climbing wall, two classrooms, aerobics/dance studio, a large meeting hall with catering kitchen and an office suite along with accompanying restrooms, mechanical, electrical and storage areas. The construction services contract also includes a secondary parking lot, pedestrian crossing to the park playground and infrastructure for EV charging stations.