Morgan Park Sports Center

Morgan Park Sports Center Debuts With High Praise from South Side Residents

By Howard Ludwig | September 13, 2015 9:26am | Updated on September 14, 2015 8:41am

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Finley Sabo, 4, lays on a balance beam while her sister, Maura, 7, works on her form in the background. Their mother, Kelly Sabo of Morgan Park, trained to be a gymnast as a girl and was excited to have her daughters follow the same path with the opening of the Morgan Park Sports Center on Saturday.

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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

MORGAN PARK — The crowd in Morgan Park was literally doing backflips on Saturday afternoon ahead of the opening of the new Morgan Park Sports Center.

Of course, much of the audience was made of gymnasts eager to test their skills at the new facility at 11505 S. Western Ave. The 64,000-square-foot center also includes an NHL-size ice rink.

"All these extra-curricular activities allow our kids to find out something about themselves," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said just before cutting a ceremonial ribbon.

The $18 million project is the largest investment the Chicago Park District has ever made in the 19th Ward, according to Chicago Park District Supt. Michael Kelly.

"Now we don't have to answer the question on the street anymore, 'When is it going to open?'" Kelly said.

Indeed, ice hockey teams began practicing at the new facility on Sept. 1. Park district programming began on Tuesday, but the center didn't officially debut until Saturday with a cosmic-themed ice skating event.

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Thanks to Nan Brennan for contributing.