The $40 million Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center opened last spring just north of downtown.
The GDRC is supposed to help replace six community centers the city has shuttered in the last three years.
The cash-strapped city spent $8.5 million to build the rec center on the former Roosevelt High School site after spending $3 million to renovate Lohrey and Northwest recreation facilities.
Dayton officials have made recreation a priority to provide better youth activities and make the city more attractive to potential residents, especially those who will be transferred to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the next few years.
Two years in the making, the center features two full-size basketball courts, a large weight and cardio fitness room and a 62,000-gallon family pool. The facility also has a pool table, aerobics room and a computer lab/study area.
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