Elsmere City Councilmembers discussed increasing rental pricing at the community center at Tuesday’s caucus meeting as a way to rely less on public funding.
Council is expected to take action on a potential increase in space rental pricing for non-residents at its next meeting on June 9.
Rate increases of $25 to $50 were discussed for non-residential events, while council mulled the idea of opening the center on Mondays and Tuesdays or providing Elsmere residents exclusive access on certain days.
The chart below shows current pricing, with 3-hour recurring rentals starting at $30 for residents and $75 for nonresidents. Eight-hour daytime events start at $125 for residents and $400 for nonresidents, with higher prices for evening hours or for adding the upper level.
The community center is currently open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center is available for rent for things like birthday parties, meetings, receptions or reunions Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The city receives about $25,000 in public funding to maintain the space, but Deputy Clerk Lauren Thyen said the administrative requirements that come along with the funding don’t always give city leaders the freedom they want for programming and other community events.
“I’m trying to kind of make it so that the community center itself is kind of bringing in all the money that it needs to run so that it can kind of be a self-sustaining program,” Thyen said.
In August 2025, the Elsmere Community Center re-opened its doors to the local community, with goals related to local engagement and programming for older residents.
Whether or not the city votes to enact the increases, councilmember Andrew Myatt said, “it’s not like we are going to be turning people away.”
