A rendering of the proposed Recreation Engagement Facility in Cranberry. Submitted image

CRANBERRY — An ad hoc committee recommended proceeding with preliminary engineering and other steps to advance a planned recreation engagement center in Cranberry Township during an Aug. 6 board of supervisors meeting.

The ad hoc committee, formed in 2025 to advise the board, found the original plan for a 180,000-square-foot facility would have had to be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to reach its financial ceiling.

Of the two alternatives subsequently considered, the committee chose a 100,000-square-foot option over the other 50,000-square-foot plan.

While the pricier of the two options, it is estimated to generate close to the same revenue as the original 180,000-square-foot plan. The 50,000-square-foot model was projected to generate less revenue.

The facility will have 20,000 square feet of turf and four basketball courts, which serve a dual purpose providing space for eight volleyball courts, said Kyle Beidler, assistant township manager.

“Specifically, each basketball court can accommodate two volleyball courts, meaning the layout is intended to support both activities interchangeably,” he said.

Having heard the recommendation, the board will vote on final approval of the recreation center during a future township meeting.

An approval would be followed acquisition of necessary permits, final engineering and a bid awarded, potentially in 2027. Construction of the facility could potentially begin in late 2028 or early 2029, according to a representative of the committee at the Aug. 6 meeting.

Immediate next steps involve working out budgeting and researching grant funds to help cover the cost of the project, he said.