CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A sprawling new recreation facility is bringing state-of-the-art pools, tracks, weights and basketball to Eastside Charlotte for the first time.

The new Eastway Regional Recreation Center, which opened earlier this year, is a welcome sight for residents of east Charlotte.

Joyce Jones is one of those residents and has been waiting for her new weekly walks for a long time.

"Being raised here in this area, middle schools, elementary schools and high schools, we’ve really never had a facility where families could come work out, get healthy that were close off the Plaza and Eastway,” Jones said.

Jones, who spoke with Spectrum News 1 while on her lunch-hour walk, works for Wells Fargo and said this recreation center is a better commute than her old gym.

"Now, instead of waking up early at 5:30[a.m.] to get to the gym and rush home to get ready for work, I have the convenience five minutes away from my home,” Jones said.

She is not just excited about a recreation center, she’s taking pride in her part of town having watched it flourish since her childhood.

"This neighborhood! This is my side of town! Moved here in 1983 with my parents and my two older sisters. And, this area, as well as the whole entire city of Charlotte, I’ve watched grow into the city that it is,” Jones added.

Her lunch-hour workout is a family affair. 

"We need to be here, exercising, taking care of our health, and we had no facility close, which detered us from doing what we need to do for our health,” said Joyce Jones Sr., Jones’ mom.

As a neighborhood mom, she kept a close eye on the Eastway project and signed up the family on the first day it opened.

"Just to spend that quality time, that means a lot to me. I’ll definitely be coming here with her definitely a lot, her and my father, just to spend that quality time and just to keep our health up,” Jones said while waiting on her mom to finish her walk.

The Jones family prefers the walking tracks, but that’s not all there is to offer at the newly opened, 90,000-square-foot Eastway Regional Recreation Center and surrounding areas.

There’s basketball courts, weights, two pools, athletic fields, natural trails and more. The pools are split into two areas near the entrance of the facility. One of the pool areas is almost completely recreational, with slides, splash areas and a lazy river. The other is a more traditional Olympic-style swimming pool with lanes and diving boards.

"It’s an awesome way to cool off. It’s also a way to save lives through swim lessons. So, we’re super pumped to bring it to this side of town for the first time,” said Daniel Leatherman, manager of the Eastway center.

Leatherman, representing the Mecklenburg County Recreation Department, said they were glad to bring their newest facility to the Eastside.

"It turned out just beautiful, so the Eastside has something to really be proud of, and the types of amenities here are second to none,” Leatherman said while showing off the new pools.

It means families can stop in for a run or a swim without leaving the neighborhood, something they’ve been waiting a long time to have nearby.

Monthly passes usually cost anywhere from $20 to $60, depending on your age and if you are paying for a family or individual pass.

The center hopes to expand senior and youth programs later this year as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, according to Leatherman. 

For a list of activities and areas at the Center, you can look here. For the center’s current schedule, click here.