Mt. Scott Community Center, located at Southeast 72nd Avenue and Southeast Harold Street, will close this week for a major renovation project. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.

The center was built in the 1920s and does not have the structural integrity to withstand a major earthquake. The planned renovations will improve the building’s seismic resilience and update its roof and ventilation systems.

Part of the center will be completely demolished and replaced with a new lobby, fitness center, classrooms, and event spaces. The community center’s pool, gymnasium, and basement roller skating rink will remain intact.

The project has a $35 million price tag. That money comes from city budget dollars recently set aside for maintenance projects and revenue collected from developer fees. The project will add an estimated 2,800 square feet of space to the city facility.

The construction project comes amid a major funding crisis at Portland Parks & Recreation. The city faces a maintenance backlog of around $600 million, a deficiency that’s forced several parks buildings to close in recent years, like North Portland’s Columbia Pool.

Mt. Scott is one of the largest of the city’s nine community centers and served an estimated 126,000 people between July 2022 and July 2023.

Portlanders who rely on Mt. Scott’s classes and services have been assured that other nearby city centers—like Woodstock Community Center and the East Portland Community Center—have expanded their services to accommodate the displaced patrons.