Residents and vacationers who wade into the resort-style pools at the new Grand Park Community Recreation Center, set to open Dec. 18, will enjoy a swimming experience with fewer chemicals, thanks to a $40,000 grant from the Rendezvous Foundation, presented Friday, Dec. 11.

The grant covered a substantial portion of the center's ultraviolet purification system that will improve water quality in all three of its pools, as well as air quality. The perlite filtration system will also save substantially on water usage; always a concern in communities throughout the Rocky Mountain West. The ‘Green' system uses fewer chemicals, which cuts down on allergic reactions and increases the longevity of the facility.

The $40,000 is in addition to the $100,000 that the Rendezvous Foundation donated in May to provide the realistic 35-foot climbing wall that will be one of the first attractions that visitors encounter when they enter the facility. Recreation District voters had approved construction of the new recreation center in November 2007; but additional funding such as the grants from the Rendezvous Foundation have allowed significant expansion of the facility's components and capabilities.

The Rendezvous Foundation, created by Koelbel and Company to provide support for community-based charitable organizations in Grand County, is endowed through continuing sales of Rendezvous' resort-style cabins, townhomes, custom homes and home sites.

“We view this as an investment that will reward all residents of the Fraser Valley, particularly as we move into the future,” said Walter ‘Buz' Koelbel, Jr., President of Koelbel and Company. “We are seeing a new perception of Winter Park and the Fraser Valley as a year-round vacation destination, with new attractions that amplify its appeal to vacationers both during ski season and the warmer weather months.”

Keith Neale, President of Colonnade Communities, Rendezvous' principal homebuilder, noted that the additional $40,000 was made possible in part by rapid sales of Rendezvous' new MooseHorn Cabins and ProngHorn and ElkHorn resort-style townhomes, situated directly across U.S. 40 from the new Center. Rendezvous logged 20 sales of new homes during late summer and early fall, Neale said.

Dan O'Connell, President of the Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District Board of Directors, said that the new facility has greatly enhanced the family appeal of Winter Park and Fraser. “When going on vacation, many times it's kids that drive the decision on where you go, even if the parents pay for it,” O'Connell said. “To have an attraction as fun as this is a great thing.”

Neale noted that the rec center will be a prime attraction for Rendezvous' homeowners. As residents of Grand County, they will enjoy reduced rates for using the facility. The resort-style pool area will feature a 'lazy river' channel, a 25-yard lap pool with 1-meter diving board, and a 20-foot-high slide that empties into a splashdown zone.

For more information on Rendezvous, visit the Real Estate Discovery Center, just across the street from the rec center or call 970-726-8200.