Brian Kates had been running the Meadows Park Community Center since 1998 and played an instrumental role in keeping the lights on for all of Colorado Springs' community centers.

Shortly before he retired at the end of August, Kates received a retirement party at Meadows Park and a resolution from the Colorado Springs City Council thanking him for his 30 years of work. The resolution said Kates had "truly found his place and his purpose" while working with the community at Meadows Park.

Two weeks later, on Sept. 12, the city announced that Meadows Park would close as part of the budget crunch heading into 2026. The building was slated to close by Oct. 10. Kates said the decision had been completely hidden from him until after he retired.

"I can't believe that when people were saying goo

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