Advertisement
Rec center could run $2.3M
by Rick DeClue · News · July 17, 2014


Members of the West Branch Parks and Recreation Commission, Mayor Mark Worrell, council member Tim Shields and approximately 15 citizens brought their respective shopping lists to a July 10 kickoff meeting to develop uses and plans for the proposed recreation center/library building in the city’s new park in Pedersen Valley.


Major features discussed for the rec center include three basketball courts – at 50 feet by 80 feet high school dimensions — a mezzanine with a 200-meter track for walking and jogging, fitness stations, plus a large flexible meeting space for up to 250 people.

The preliminary budget for West Branch’s capital improvements plan forecasts a cost of $2.3 million for construction which the city hopes to develop in phases.

FEH Associates’ Dennis Sharp and Kevin Eipperle conducted the discussion. The firm has already been working with the West Branch Public Library on its future plans.

The designers received three firm guidelines from the city:

• Need for an efficient design so the facility could be operated with minimal staff

• Lots of storage space for everything from tables and chairs and athletic equipment to electronics and other items, such as risers

• A design that anticipates possible future uses such as an outdoor pool and space for city offices, as well as the library.

When costs become an issue, Eipperle said storage is often the first thing cut. However, he acknowledged the city’s priorities.

He added that more than 40 years in a center such as this, the costs typically break down to 20 percent for construction and 80 percent for operations. Financial sustainability is crucial, he said.

There was general agreement that the preference is for a traditional design — more brick and stone than steel and glass — and the incorporation of traditional, even local, materials such as Stone City stone.

The designers responded positively to the use of local materials, as well as “green” approaches, such as solar hot water. Sharp and Eipperle commended the city’s view of the proposed center as a public relations and economic development tool.

Worrell said that he has had numerous discussions with corporations interested in the industrial park south of Interstate 80. One of the first questions investors ask is what the city has to offer its employees.

Shields said the center would also be an attraction for families and developers looking to come here. As for potential events, the discussion envisioned the rec center as a supplement to established events focused on Main Street or the Hoover Complex.

The mayor added that he wants to continue to view the city as a family oriented place to live, not just a bedroom community to the Iowa City/Coralville area.

Worrell also said he thought the site could accommodate a building with a walkout basement level. He requested the architects look at a clear-span space, i.e. no columns, simply for future expansion.

“If we’re going to build this, basement space is the cheapest to construct,” he said. “It should serve the city for 100 years.”

In addition to the major needs, everyone contributed to a list of other wishes. These included rolling bleachers with seating for approximately 400 people, two racquetball courts, an office for Parks and Recreation Department Director Mellissa Russell, a teen game room, showers and locker rooms, a catering kitchen, a small maintenance shop, a lounge/seating area and space for “drop-off” babysitting.

Jodi Yeggy asked for space for fitness classes now held in the Town Hall. She said they currently have approximately 50 to 60 class participants per week. She also suggested space for functional fitness, such as rope climbing.

Russell said there was an interest in room for spinning (exercise on stationary bicycle) classes in the recent parks survey.

In addition to the large, flexible meeting space, there was interest in smaller meeting spaces which could be shared with the library.

It is believed that, currently, the largest space in town — not including school buildings — is in the West Branch United Methodist Church. Several people said a space is needed for larger wedding receptions.

To accommodate varied uses such as basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, softball and baseball, wrestling and other activities, FEH recommended a poured polyurethane floor.

Eipperle said the cost is approximately 40 percent less than wood. It can also be resurfaced by simply adding another layer or “lift” every 10 to 12 years.

The floor can be poured to create a preferred bounce, resiliency and comfort. The surface requires care using something similar to a Zamboni machine for ice arenas, but smaller. Of course, there would have to be a place to store the machine, he added.

Yeggy acknowledged that this discussion was a case of “might as well ask big.”

Eipperle said priorities get set and decisions are made when the reality of costs start to be assigned to these ideas.

“You’ll have another shot at this,” he said.

An all-day charrette was set for Sept. 3, to be conducted by FEH. They will have a final report for the city council’s Sept. 15 meeting.

Worrell said he wants to get something finalized in writing prior to the November elections, when voters will consider extending the Local Option Sales Tax to be used in conjunction with TIF funding for Phase I one of the Park Department’s plans.