MISSION VIEJO : Recreation Centers Will Be Toned Up

As incentives go, the four recreation centers built by the Mission Viejo Co. in the 1970s to lure home buyers to the company’s fledgling community were a powerful attraction--part of the builder’s “California Promise” of a better lifestyle.

Now, two decades later, the recreation centers are getting frayed around the edges, and with the city nearly built out, the Mission Viejo Co. is moving on.

But with about $2 million in renovation work planned and a sports management firm newly hired to run them, better days may be ahead for the recreation centers.

The Mission Viejo Co. “has been downsizing for the last few years in anticipation of leaving,” said Bruce Taylor, president of Woodland Hills-based Sports Leisure Group, which took over operation of the centers last month. “We’re going to be able to provide even more services than in (the centers’) glory years. We’re very excited about Mission Viejo.”

New programs and upgraded equipment will begin to be phased into the centers over the next few months, Taylor said. The sports management group plans to focus on developing activities for youths and families.

Father-son basketball leagues, mother-daughter tennis, community outings and other programs will become common at the centers, Taylor said.

“The average family in Mission Viejo has at least one or two children,” he said.

The management group is also working out an agreement with area school districts to jointly sponsor recreation programs and excursions. The key to success for the recreation centers is increasing membership from the recent low of about 1,000. In the 1980s, the membership level for the centers was consistently more than 3,000.

Sports Leisure Group will soon embark on a multifaceted publicity campaign that will include direct mailers and other advertising. The firm plans to hold a grand opening for the recreation centers in February.

In addition to publicizing the centers, the campaign will also be seeking feedback from Mission Viejo citizens.

“We want to see what the community wants in their centers,” Taylor said. “We’re not going to jump in and implement a lot of programs the residents don’t necessarily want.”

Significantly helping to boosting membership will be a planned drop in rates to join the centers. Taylor said the cost to work out at the centers will be cut by about half under the new management.

The basic monthly fee is now $25 for a single person, $35 for a couple and $40 for an entire family. A full schedule of all activities and facilities use, including racquetball, tennis and aerobics, costs a little more, between $60 and $80 per month.

There will also be a onetime processing fee of $20 for singles and $25 for couples and families, with an additional onetime registration charge of $5 for each child.

The four centers all have swimming facilities and multipurpose rooms. The largest, on Marguerite Parkway, has a gymnasium, tennis and racquetball courts and fitness equipment.

In addition to basic renovations and repairs, the centers will soon have new equipment and cosmetic touches such as carpeting and fresh paint, Taylor said.

“We’re going to make it inviting for people to join,” he said.

Residents interested in joining can call (714) 951-6872. A fee schedule for non-residents is also being developed.