It’s hard to believe that the Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center opened just three years ago on February 7. James Taylor, CEO of the John H. Boner Community Center, said that the Legacy Center was first envisioned “in four little sentences as part of the Super Bowl proposal.” It’s become a mainstay in the community that Taylor knows is making a big difference in lives on the east side. The center is located on the Arsenal Tech Campus at 727 N. Oriental, in the midst of a neighborhood that is undergoing a rebirth.
“There is not one fitness facility on the near eastside,” he pointed out. “We have over a thousand members, and they reflect the rich diversity of our community. Forty percent of our members are lower-income people. We have seniors, young people, middle-aged people coming here. Last year, there were 60,000 visits to the center.” There are daily fitness classes catering to all fitness levels in one wing, and an entire wing devoted to youth group meetings and classes. This was all a part of the original vision — but that vision has continued to grow, thanks to partnerships with many organizations who bring in volunteers to run programs like art, cooking, and more. IUPUI Physical Education students run the workout rooms and help members develop fitness plans. Growing Places Indy, an organic urban farm, operates on the property, and will expanding. “People can come here and be part of the whole food cycle — plant the seed, nurture the plant, harvest, learn how to cook the food, then burn off the calories.”
When the Indianapolis Senior Center closed, Taylor said many seniors walked over from the building on Mass Ave. to see what the Legacy Center offered and took out memberships. With memberships as low as $10 a month, most people can afford to come. The Silver Sneaker program for seniors is covered by many Medicare supplemental policies, making it free to seniors.
The Youth Education Town component is “maxxed out” with programming and classes, from Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Indianapolis Arts Center, Girls, Inc. and many other organizations. “We wish we could get bigger to accommodate all that we want to do,” said Taylor.
Taylor said that in the three years since the center opened during all the hoopla of the Super Bowl, the community has remained enthusiastic and positive about the center, spurring continuing expansion of programs and hours. “A lot of this, we didn’t imagine,” he said. “It’s a big success.”
For information about the Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center programs and classes, visit http://jhbcc.org/chaseneareastsidelegacycenter/ or call 423-2000.
