While plans are nowhere near ready to seek bids for a proposed Fulton city recreation center, the project is getting closer.
Parks and Recreation Director Clay Caswell passed out preliminary sketches to City Council members last week with a word or two of caution.
"This is the third version," he said, adding there will be more versions to come. "We're still working on it."
The Parks and Recreation Department has been working with SFS Architecture on the preliminary design, and more input from the parks and recreation board as well as the public will be sought.
One design shows a ground-level structure with offices, activity and classrooms, locker rooms, concession/kitchen, and storage. Attached to that is a future banquet room.
The next design outlines a floor plan for a basketball/volleyball court, fitness center, storage and field house.
The field house, Caswell said, will be an indoor facility with turf flooring that can be used for sports and practices such as soccer, baseball/softball, CrossFit, kickball, batting cages and more.
"This would be a unique recreational feature for Fulton and would provide those that participate in outdoor sports an opportunity and place to practice and compete during the winter months," Caswell said.
The final design page showed an overall picture of those two buildings on the site, including a blue circle for "future outdoor aquatic center."
Somewhere in there is a ground-level indoor track where people could walk or run.
The working plan comes in about 42,000 square feet.
"Some shrinkage needs to happen," Caswell said.
Without actual bids yet on the recreation center's construction, his best estimate is a cost between $110-$120 per square foot.
"We're looking at the $4 million range," he cautioned.
That facility is planned for the State Street portion of Veterans Park. Off Tennyson Road, a softball/baseball complex is being planned, one city officials hope will show them the money through tournament rentals.
"Design and specs are ready to go for the ballfields," Caswell said. "We'd like to put both out for bid at the same time."
Caswell estimated the ballfield complex estimated cost is $2 million, "but again, we are planning and designing with the goal of keeping both projects within the $6 million parameter."
City workers are really busy, he added, but they could lay the groundwork for the ballfield with site preparation.
"We could go out for bid in two months on the community center," he said.
A sales tax approved by city voters a few years ago was promoted as a way to fund three major project the community identified as wants and needs over the last several decades.
"The sales tax will only generate approximately $386,000 annually for park improvements - stormwater (improvements) gets the other $386,000," Caswell said. "With that amount, it will be difficult to fund all three projects at once."
The parks and recreation board prioritized the project based on needs and resident input, he added.
"The park board recommended to the City Council that the city move forward with the design of the baseball complex and community center as the first phase of development, with the idea of designing the community center so that an outdoor aquatic could be added to it at a later date and the two facilities could share amenities such as parking, restrooms, locker rooms, etc.," Caswell said. "Based on the revenue generated through the parks and recreation sales tax, plus potential revenue generated from operations at the two new facilities, we have established a construction budget of $6 million to $6.3 million for the two projects combined. Our goal, once the design phase is complete, is to put the two projects out for bid and use those bid numbers to determine if the city can financially move forward with the construction of one or both projects."
Caswell said it's too early to discuss exact fees or fee structures.
"Obviously, the city wants to keep these facilities as affordable as possible for the citizens. However, it is important for the community to understand that while the sales tax revenue comes from the citizens, the majority of that revenue will primarily be used for construction costs," he added. "Each of these facilities will generate additional operating expenses that will need to be offset by additional revenue. The city's goal will be to establish a fee structure that is affordable, while still maintaining quality facilities and programs that will not become a financial burden on the city or the taxpayers."
Based on consultant estimates, city officials think the ballfield complex will generate enough revenue to cover expenses and possibly make a profit.
"The majority of revenue will come from visitors to the community who come to the facility for leagues and tournaments. With these visitors comes an added benefit to local businesses of more people spending money throughout the community and less Fulton citizens taking their money to neighboring communities," Caswell said. "The added benefit to the citizens of Fulton is that local players will not have to travel as much to other cities to compete in tournaments, and local recreational league players and families will have one central location for baseball/softball, versus having to travel all over town to different fields to play or watch games."
The consultant estimated the community center has the potential to break even in terms of operations.
"The benefit that this facility will have for the community is that it will provide some much needed and often requested indoor recreational space," Caswell added.