What was once a South Huntsville high school campus has officially begun its new life as a community destination for recreation, arts and events.

The city of Huntsville celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of the Sandra Moon Community Complex, marking the completion of a four-phase transformation of the former Grissom High School campus on Bailey Cove Road.

Mayor Tommy Battle, City Council President Jennie Robinson, city leaders and members of Sandra Moon’s family gathered for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the completed complex.

“It’s a great day for the city of Huntsville,” Battle said. “We are thrilled to open the Sandra Moon Community Complex for everyone to see and enjoy. As you walk around this campus and see everything that has come together here, you will understand just how special this place is.”

The complex is named for Moon, who served on the Huntsville City Council from 1998 to 2010 and became the first woman to serve as council president. After leaving office, she chaired a committee charged with considering how the former Grissom campus could eventually be repurposed for the community.

Moon died in 2013, and the City Council voted in 2017 to name the future complex in her honor.

Robinson, who has described Moon as a mentor, said the completed complex reflects Moon’s ability to bring people together.

“Sandra was known for her ability to connect with people and work with people,” Robinson said. “She was just always so delightful and even keeled and people loved working with her. I think this facility goes back to her legacy in that it was created out of this wonderful community conversation to meet community needs.”

The complex brings together facilities that opened during earlier phases, including the South Huntsville Public Library, a children’s playground, outdoor multi-use fields and lighted pickleball and tennis courts.

The newly completed portion adds an event hall capable of seating more than 200 people, two renovated gymnasiums, adaptive activity spaces for residents with special needs and a multimedia center. Event spaces will also be available for rental.

The former Grissom gyms have been restored for basketball, volleyball and pickleball, while the complex also includes an expanded fitness area and indoor walking track.

Parks & Recreation Director James Gossett said he is particularly excited about the adaptive recreation space, which will allow the city to expand programming for residents with special needs.

“The new adaptive recreation spaces provides an area to meet the needs of our special populations and it’s something unlike anything else in a City facility,” Gossett said. “It will allow us to expand programming and truly make this a place for everyone.”

The multimedia center adds another type of programming, with gaming and recording stations and other technology and creative resources for teens and adults.

The complex will also become a new home for Arts Huntsville, with office and rehearsal space as well as the former Grissom auditorium, which has been renovated into a 600-seat performance venue.

Arts Huntsville will hold a separate ribbon-cutting for the auditorium Sept. 25.

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