As Orion Twp Celebrates Orion Rec Center, A Look at Rejected Name Options
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 23, 2025)
Orion Township, MI – It could have been called Buffporium. Or Gymy McGymface. Or even Chris Barnett’s House of Swole. But of over 400 names submitted in a contest to name the community’s new recreation center, a more simple moniker rose to victory, with the public ultimately voting for Orion Recreation Center.
Residents packed the newly dubbed ORC on Nov. 12 for The Parks and Progress event celebrating 15 years of conserving green space and creating recreational opportunities for residents and visitors, in particular the Township’s recent purchase and renovation of the former Great Lakes Athletic Club.
They also packed the internet, submitting names for the new center and voting to narrow the names down in the weeks leading up to the big reveal.
Orion Recreation Center was a popular name from the start, with several submitting it in the initial competition. Some others were recurring as well. Staff narrowed down the contest to five names: Orion Recreation Center, The Den, The LOCAL, The Dragon Hub, and the LOCH.
Over 1500 votes helped narrow it down to the final two: Orion Recreation Center and Lake Orion Community Hub (LOCH). And in the end ORC got 66.7% of the votes.
Other submitted names included The Orion Outpost, Mitten Muscle, Orion Energy Zone, The Summit, The LOft, Gingell Athletic Village, and Orion Together Center.
Some names were a little too long to be practical like Lake Orion Center for People Who Want to Get Fit and Wanna Learn to do Other Stuff Good Too, and The Township Owned Fitness Facility That’s Still a Tad Too Expensive to Justifiably Join Center. One submission even called it Barnett’s Money Pit.
Yet even with some snide suggestions, the vast majority of those putting names forward were positive reflections of the community’s aspirations for the space.
The building has put the Recreation Department offices in a more accessible space to connect with the public. The facilities are continuing to blossom into a place for all ages, with amenities like three fitness studios, a wing for 50+ members, a yoga studio, lobby restrooms, a multipurpose room, an art room, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a plethora of fitness opportunities. Over 100 employees have jobs helping the public find their fitness bliss and community connections. And there are nearly 7,000 paying members, including 1,583 in the 50+ community.
“We are bragging tonight,” said Supervisor Chris Barnett before he and other officials and recreation staff cut the big red ribbon to celebrate the center. “We did lots of community surveys. We did master plan updates. And we kept hearing over and over from our residents the need for space where we could gather. We wanted pools. We wanted someplace we could walk in wintertime.”
The ORC was just part of the celebration, which highlighted multiple Orion parks and the commitment to protecting the 42 bodies of water in the Township. Barnett announced the recent purchase of the former Pine Tree elementary property to be converted into a Township park, with part of the building likely to be preserved as a recreation space. He also touted the opening of Heritage Park, a pocket park on Baldwin with seating and historical signage.
A booklet describing multiple park improvements includes the Miracle Field and the Let Them Play playground at Friendship Park where people with all abilities can play, amenities at Civic Center Park including Wildwood Amphitheater and an adult fitness course, the disc golf course, beach expansion, and KaBoom! playground at Camp Agawam, improvements to Paint Creek Trail including the VanTassel Pedestrian Bridge, The Playful Dragon, and of course the many events hosted by the Township for people of all ages.
So while the person who suggested Clubby McPool Face may be disappointed, Barnett is hopeful that the thousands of residents who use the community’s parks and recreation opportunities are happy with all the community has to offer.
“In Orion Township we have a motto, where Living is a Vacation,” Supervisor Barnett said. “We put our money where our parks are. We have a lot of growth, but what we have done in Orion is second to no community of our size in our entire state… and we’re darn proud of that.”
Learn more about Orion Parks at https://www.orionparks.com/
