Dearborn Takes Phased Approach At Reopening Recreation Facilities

DEARBORN, MI — The Dearborn Recreation and Parks Department is taking a phasing in process to reopening athletic facilities and opportunities, the city announced Thursday in a news release.

Strict safety protocols will be in place as facilities begin to reopen, including enforcing limited capacity numbers and requiring masks be worn indoors, the city said.

Already operating

As of Wednesday, the following facilities and programs are open or running: City of Dearborn playgrounds, parks and paths; Dearborn Hills Golf Course and Mystic Creek Golf Course at Camp Dearborn, including clubhouses for limited service; Dearborn Dog Park; City of Dearborn tennis courts and pickleball courts; Meals on Wheels and food distribution for seniors.

Opening soon

Outdoor group exercise classes on the campus of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center are expected to open Monday.

Park picnic and shelter reservations; comfort stations at parks; Dearborn Baseball/adult softball; and the splashpads at Crowley, Hemlock and Whitmore-Bolles parks are expected to open June 20. The splashpads may open sooner than June 20, the city said.

Camp Dearborn

It is expected that Camp Dearborn will open with limited services and capacity on June 21. This includes basic and resort cabins, RV camping and camping with personal tents. Reservations are required.

The following will not be available in 2020: Trailer Village 2, Tent Village/TV1 camping, the Camp Dearborn pool, the zip line, field activities, and Canteen dances.

Ford Woods Pool

As of this week, it is possible that the new outdoor pool at Ford Woods Park will open in the summer of 2020. Wayne County restrictions on outdoor public pools were lifted Monday. The city said it still needs to recruit, hire and train staff to operate the pool. Plans are in the works to make this happen if possible.

Other outdoor pools

The outdoor pools at Summer-Stephens, Lapeer, and Ten Eyck parks are under evaluation for potential opening in 2020, based on the city’s capacity to operate them safely and with adequate trained staff.

Dunworth Pool at Levagood Park is closed for construction of a new bathhouse but was not set to open anyway in 2020.

Possible future openings

Programs and facilities still being evaluated for possible operations at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center are spinning classes in Studio A, group fitness classes in the Hubbard Ballroom, lap swimming and pool fitness classes and cardio equipment with 50 percent in the gymnasium and 50 percent in the fitness area.

Further down the road, in a potential second phase of re-openings at The Center, Recreation may offer family swim, access to the climbing wall, open up conference and banquet rooms, and present miscellaneous programs, like Youth Theater.

The Dearborn Ice Skating Center is also under consideration for a phased reopening.

Closed for 2020

The Supervised Summer Playground Program, Summer Day Camp at The Center and senior travel programs are all closed for 2020.