The two fieldhouses Basin Rec has plans to build will have rock climbing and aquatics facilities — but not just that.
The recreation district has published draft floorplans while it waits for the Summit County Council to put a property tax bond question on the November ballot.
Voters will be asked to approve up to $150 million in bonds to pay for the new buildings.
District Director Robert Parrish said residents told his staff that their initial blueprints weren’t big enough. He added that taxpayers have so far told the district that, if they build the new facilities, they need to do it right.
“One of the things I think we are looking at internally is: OK, if we scale back and go to the smaller facilities that we were planning back in May, what's that cost difference?” Parrish said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” July 20. “The difference between, let's say, a $125 million bond for two facilities versus $150 million is really only about $25 a year … for the median home within the district, which is [valued at] $1.3 million.”
The full $150 million would cost the median home about $250 annually.
The bigger of the two facilities would be in Silver Creek Village.
At 120,000 square feet, it will house a lap and recreation pool, indoor turf field, running track, space for camps and youth fitness.
The 64,000-square-foot facility near Jeremy Ranch would have bouldering, top-rope, lead, speed climbing, a smaller track and indoor, multi-purpose courts.
Both buildings would include weight training and cardio equipment, as well as childcare.
Childcare is one of the areas in which Basin Rec may partner with other organizations to operate the fieldhouses.
“We would look at a public-private partnership where somebody else would build out the interior of the climbing facility and run it for us, and we would not have to pay for the operations and maintenance of that,” Parrish said. “I've had negotiations with PC Tots. One of the things we've heard from community members is they'd like to have drop-in daycare so they can come and work out.”
The existing fieldhouse in Kimball Junction is about 87,000 square feet. County Councilmember Chris Robinson has questioned what expansion would do to Basin Rec’s operating costs.
“Because I could easily see, if this bond were to pass and the facilities built, that you would be financially crimped by having greater operating costs and be coming back for more,” he said at the council’s July 15 meeting.
Parrish said that’s exactly why Basin Rec is auditing its fees and membership rates. He said the district is undercharging for some services and overcharging for others.
“Looking at our cost-recovery model — based on similar recreation districts along with the national average — our fee recovery is actually less than what it should be,” Parrish told councilmembers last week. “We're probably at about the 25% to 30% cost recovery.”
If Basin adds two fieldhouses, he anticipates reexamining both membership and program fees to make sure they’re fair — and high enough.
Non-residents and visitors would pay elevated rates, since they wouldn’t be paying off the bonds through property taxes.
Basin Rec’s overarching goal is to plan ahead for new growth. Future residents will offset the financial burden on current residents, the district says, assuming voters approve the bonds Nov. 3.
Basin Rec is a financial supporter of KPCW.
