Cannon Recreation Center

Information

The Cannon Recreation / Community Center was a learning and athletics facility on the east side of Detroit. Attached to Jared Finney High School, Cannon was closed in 2006 due to funding cuts and the condition of the building.

Details on when it was constructed are scarce; it closely resembles the original Finny school that it is connected to so it likely was built around the same time. During construction on additions to the school in 60’s and 70’s, the rec center served as the school’s gym and auditorium. Eventually the Detroit Recreation Department took over the center, and ran it until its closure.

By 2001, Cannon was in poor shape. DRD audits noted that the ceilings had heavy water damage and were missing many tiles, the center was poorly lit, and paint had started to peel. Improvements were made that year including laying down a new wood gymnasium floor.

Even with occasional upgrades, the overall condition failed to improve. A 2005 DRD survey of rec centers found that Cannon was in “poor” condition, and under capacity. The Parks Department tried to find other organizations to take over operation of Cannon and Tindall centers, noting optimistically in August of 2006 that "the Detroit Recreation Department is negotiating partnership agreements for Tindal… and Cannon Recreation Center(s). Detroit Recreation Department programming will cease as of Friday, August 18. Once partnership agreements are finalized, the new operating organization for the facility will schedule community programs."

The partnership agreements failed to come through. Cannon, Tindall, and Brewster-Wheeler rec centers never reopened.

Cannon, as well as Finney High school are scheduled to be demolished to make way for a replacement school. As of January 2011, a death fence has been erected and the site is under guard.

This location has been posted for some time, but without exterior pictures or any details. A few readers have written and asked why. At the time it was still hoped that Cannon could be saved, and given its relatively un-vandalized / scrapped condition, I chose to withhold details. Since its demolition has been confirmed, this is no longer necessary. We don’t like hiding locations, but this was one of the rare instances where withholding details until it’s fate was sealed was the right thing to do.