Villagers and their guests will have another treat in store later in the year when the new Rohan Regional Recreation Center just off State Road 44, at the southern reaches of Morse Boulevard, is expected to open.
The huge, stately gold shingled edifice, a tribute to John Rohan, who has served as director of The Villages Recreation Department for nearly 20 years, will salute “recreation for residents,” which in The Villages is second to none.
From the colorful “Florida’s Friendliest Hometown” mural high above the main lobby, which features swimming, polo, basketball and other available sports, to the exterior pickleball, tennis, platform tennis and basketball courts — everything about the new feature will shout “recreation.”
The floor plan, which is similar to the Eisenhower Regional Recreation Center, includes a tall sunny lobby with clerestory windows and glass display cases. There are large expandable meeting rooms, a mirrored multi-purpose room with a barre (suitable for ballet or exercise), plus large space s for crafts, games and stage shows. Warm wood carpentry beautifully accents pastel rich green and gold décor.
A large tile logo from the entrance foyer floor of the former La Reina building sales office in Spanish Springs (which is now the MVP Fitness Center) has been repurposed, for a bit of nostalgia, and is positioned at the entrance to the Rohan facility theater.
The exterior of the new amenity is largely completed, and the interior is in various stages of construction . Multiple types of work is ongoing simultaneously, in true Villages fashion. Green and gold patterned carpets are being installed; sinks and cabinets for the kitchen and craft area are already positioned; plus ceiling beams, molding and woodwork are being stapled and hammered into place.
Four large panels in the expandable meeting room s have been left blank — for future painting. Similar to when the SeaBreeze Regional Recreation Center was nearing completion, a local artist or artists will be invited to paint those panels.
The Villages design group has asked resident artists to submit small samples of their work, depicting popular community activities. From those samples, volunteers will be selected to decorate the blank panels with murals .
The Rohan Center is still an active construction zone, and is not yet open to the public.
