The interior is light and airy with bright graphics. A unique decorative wall of colored rope gives the gym an open feel but keeps the balls in.

Visitors enter the slide indoors, but it loops outdoors before re-entering the building and dumps swimmers into the pool.

Moorhead Recreation Center on 25th Ave. in Aurora, not far from Stanley Marketplace, has recently reopened after a $16 million complete makeover. Little remains from the old building except the outdoor pool, which is now an indoor pool with a water slide.

The original 5,500-square-foot structure has been replaced with a 41,000-square-foot facility that also includes a teaching kitchen, multi-court gymnasium and state-of-the-art fitness equipment and weight machines.

The upper part of the yellow slide extends outside the building wall, creating a distinctive street-side façade. That attention-grabbing feature increases the visibility of this major new neighborhood amenity, which is significant since the end of the building, rather than the front, faces 25th Ave.

A trip down the water slide for a young Rec. Center member.

Noteworthy design features include the water slide exiting the north side of the building and re-entering near ground level on the west side. The interior is airy and highlighted by large graphics and a unique wall of colored rope dividing the gymnasium from a central corridor. Three garage doors on the south side create the potential for an indoor/outdoor feel to yoga classes and cookouts.

The facility features include a shallow pool for younger children.

The project, located at 2390 Havana St., cattycorner from Fletcher Elementary School, is a great example of urban infill making better use of a formerly underutilized site. New visitors should be aware that Havana is cut off between 24th and 25th avenues because the rec center and Moorhead Park occupy an entire city block between Hanover and Iola streets. The park is heavily treed and features picnic structures and large, unprogrammed turf areas.

The center is open seven days a week: 6am-9pm Monday through Thursday; 6am–7pm on Fridays, and 8am–5pm on weekends. Drop-in pricing ranges from $3–$4 depending on a patron’s age. A price break is available for Aurora residents purchasing annual or monthly passes.

The recreation center offers a computer room.