The CORE, Green's Center of Recreation & Education at 1717 Steese Road, turns one on Sunday, Nov. 15, and the city has planned a full week of events around it. The same stretch of calendar also ends the deal that filled the building in its first year. Charter memberships sold in fall 2025 began Nov. 15 and run through Dec. 31, 2026, and the city said the discounted charter resident rate would apply "for the first year only," Akron.com reported when pricing was announced.
If you bought in as a charter member, your membership is good through New Year's Eve. The discount windows close well before then, and the first one opens this Sunday.
The dates on the calendar between now and New Year's
- Sunday, Nov. 15. For the birthday bash, the city is taking $25 off all memberships for one day only, "new members and renewals alike." You can claim it in person at The CORE or by calling (330) 896-0099.
- Monday, Nov. 30. This is the last day of the charter renewal offer. Since Aug. 12, charter members have been able to take "$25 off their next year at The CORE," and the city's August announcement says the offer runs until Nov. 30, 2026.
- Thursday, Dec. 31. Every charter membership expires on this date.
Renewals go through the city's registration site at cityofgreen.org/Register, by phone at 330-896-0099, or at the front desk.
What a charter rate turns into
When Green announced CORE pricing in August 2025, it published two resident schedules: the charter rate for the first year and a standard rate for after that. The city's current online registration catalog lists an individual annual membership at $150 and a six-month individual membership at $90, which matches that standard schedule.
| Resident membership | Charter rate, first year | Standard annual | Standard six-month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual, 16 and older | $100 | $150 | $90 |
| Family of two | $200 | $250 | $140 |
| Family of three or more | $300 | $350 | $190 |
| Individual senior, 60 and older | $75 | $100 | $65 |
| Senior couple | $130 | $180 | $105 |
On every tier, the standard annual price is $25 to $50 above the charter rate. The family and individual tiers carry the biggest jump. A $25 discount covers half of that gap for an individual and all of it for a family of three or more. The six-month option is another way to go. A $90 individual half-year covers the winter for less than the $100 charter members paid for a full year.
Nonresident memberships run from $200 a year for an individual senior up to $600 for a family of three or more. When the city announced pricing in 2025, daily admission was set at $7 for residents and $12 for nonresidents. Members who belong to SilverSneakers or Renew Active can join The CORE for free, according to the city.
Why the renewal lands right before the building's busiest stretch
The first year showed when The CORE gets used. In an Akron.com anniversary story published Nov. 5, Green Service Director Valerie Wax Carr said usage dropped in the summer, which the city expected. She added that it rose on some days when it was rainy and hot. Deputy Director of Public Service Chrissy Lingenfelter told Akron.com the city sees the building as an extension of its parks. "When it is uncomfortable outside, people will have a place to come," she said.
Winter is also when local youth sports move indoors. Akron.com reported an estimated 532 hours of youth team use between January and April of this year. The city's CORE calendar this month already shows how evenings fill up. On Nov. 5, GYBA practice had the courts from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and GSA had the full turf from 5 to 9 p.m. A GHS dance team rental holds Courts 1 and 2 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on its scheduled days, from Oct. 7 through Feb. 17, 2027.
That shapes when members can use the building. Open pickleball runs in set blocks on Court 2, such as 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 5 and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 6. The elevated walking track sits above the community courts, so it stays separate from whatever is happening on the floor below. One mile is 7.5 laps. Classes run every day and are free to members. This month's calendar includes DrumFit, Mindful Movement, Suspension Training Circuit, Total Body Strength Express, SilverSneakers Boom Move, and Balance, Stability & Fall Prevention. On Nov. 5, an evening Total Body Strength class ran from 6 to 6:45 p.m.
So the charter year ends right before the January-to-April stretch when youth teams used the building most last year, and the charter renewal discount closes a month before that.
The birthday week, day by day
The city's birthday announcement spreads the anniversary across seven days.
- Sunday, Nov. 15, Birthday Bash. One day only, $25 off new memberships and renewals.
- Monday, Nov. 16, Member Monday. Prizes, appreciation giveaways and a coffee bar.
- Tuesday, Nov. 17, Trivia Tuesday. A board game social, group trivia and prizes.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18, Wheel of Prizes. Members who come in that day can spin the wheel.
- Thursday, Nov. 19, Thankful Thursday. Bring new hats, gloves, socks and scarves. Donations go on the CORE Christmas trees and then to Green Good Neighbors.
- Friday, Nov. 20, Freebie Friday. CORE Perk Partners hand out new incentives and giveaways.
- Saturday, Nov. 21, Indoor Tailgate. College football with kick and punt contests during the game.
The Thursday donation drive takes new items only, so plan on buying hats, gloves, socks or scarves ahead of time.
What year two is supposed to add
The building opened Nov. 15, 2025, as Green's first public indoor recreation facility. The Akron Beacon Journal described it as a 53,000-square-foot building connected to Green Middle School. The paper reported an initial price tag of about $14.9 million, projected to fall by more than $1 million with favorable financing. It also reported an estimated $4 million in savings from sharing utilities and site work with the school.
Membership grew steadily through year one. Lingenfelter told Akron.com The CORE opened with 718 memberships covering 1,153 people. By October 2026, it had 1,628 memberships covering 2,440 people. "The first year we really tried to listen to the community and how they using the spaces to plan for next year," she said. Recreation Programmer Zack Kaufman said everything in the past year was a first, and the goal was to learn from it.
Akron.com reported three goals for the second year:
- More rentals. Rentals started in April. Residents can book a studio, a court or the turf field for events such as a birthday party.
- More senior programs. The CORE is an official SilverSneakers facility, and the city gets money back from the program. Wax Carr said seniors can belong to more than one SilverSneakers facility. This fall, the city also held free Try It Tuesday visits for anyone 60 and older, no membership needed, with access to the track, pickleball and classes.
- Evening classes while kids are at practice. This goal fits the youth league calendar above. A parent waiting out a 5:30 practice could take a class in a studio instead of sitting in the car.
The rest of the building stays as it was in year one. There are two full-size courts lined for pickleball and notched for volleyball, which convert to four courts when the bleachers are pulled back. There's an 80-by-160-foot lined field on a 100-by-175-foot turf surface, two 1,000-square-foot studios that can open into one room, community meeting space, and a rooftop terrace. The Beacon Journal reported that the terrace has tables, checker and chess boards, and roof plantings.
"We are not your typical wellness center," Wax Carr told Akron.com. "We are providing an asset for the community. Not everywhere has this."
The next big date next door comes five days after the charter renewal deadline. Christmas at Central Park, at 1795 Steese Road, starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, with live music, themed activities, the City of Green Christmas Village, food and photos with Santa.
The Bartlebaugh Team has spent more than two decades in Green and the communities around it, and we like keeping neighbors up to date on the places that make ordinary weeks here easier, like a warm indoor track in February. If you have questions about Green, or about anything else going on close to home, Nancy Bartlebaugh and the team are always glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
