Preliminary plans eyed for multipurpose partnership

Lincoln University wants things to move quickly

Officials are trying to get a clearer picture of what a collaborative multipurpose facility would look like, but the clock is ticking to get the project moving.

At the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Wednesday, commissioners heard a presentation from Cary Gampher, with Architects Alliance, on preliminary plans for a collaborative multipurpose building and their evolution throughout the past two months.

Gampher presented several versions of plans, all of which had at one time been considered as the project has evolved since Sept. 24. Though commissioners, parks staff and university staff have been in discussions since then, Wednesday marked the first time the preliminary plans were discussed openly, outside of closed sessions and private meetings.

In October, the commission authorized department staff to pursue a potential collaboration with Lincoln University on a proposed multipurpose building. If the partnership is pursued, the facility would operate as both a multipurpose facility and a student recreational facility on Lafayette Street.

Every design sought to include the desired amenities from both entities, including an elevated walking track, a Lincoln University fitness center, a game room, park offices, locker rooms and storage space. The main fluctuation throughout the designs was the number of courts in the facility. Gampher showed options ranging from three to six basketball courts.

The three-court design would have a construction cost of $10 million to $12 million, while a four-court design would have a construction cost of $11.7 million to $13.8 million. An option to have four courts and a half court would have a construction cost of $12.5 million to $14.8 million.

Bill Lockwood, director of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, said between the department and the university, they have identified $9.7 million for the project at this point.

Gampher said the options presented reflect the need for Lockwood and Kevin Rome, university president, to have a conversation about what the facility needs to have included.

"We're just trying to get our arms around the big picture," Gampher said. "We're at a point now where we've delivered this to both staffs and they're kind of chewing on it."

Lockwood said the parks staff is sending out a survey today to sports organizations in the area to identify the perception of needs in the community for athletic space, as well as what they would be willing to pay for court space.

Lockwood said a very rough draft of a memorandum of understanding, which would help identify how operating the facility would work, may be ready before the Thanksgiving holiday. He said, based on past discussions, the university likely would be in charge of the bidding and construction process since the facility is on the campus, while the parks department likely would take on the operational management.

But the biggest issue for now is speed.

Lockwood said the university is looking for rapid decision making as they would like the facility to be open for the 2016 school year, which Lockwood said was an ambitious goal. He said if university officials do not see things progressing quickly enough, they will drop the collaborative project and return to their original plans for a separate recreation facility.

"I think it's going well," Lockwood said. "Wish it was going faster."