JPRD Board member Tracy Deal (left) and Director Denny Hammen (right) presenting to City Council Jan. 11th. Image courtesy of City of Jefferson
The Jefferson Parks and Recreation Department is seeking individuals to be on a specialized steering committee.
The City Council previously approved a $13,300 contract with OPN Architects to develop a concept and design for an indoor pool that would be attached to the Greene County Community Center. JPRD Director Denny Hammen told the Council at their January 11th meeting that the idea has been talked about for a few years and got more serious when the JPRD Board received $845,000 from the Rory Autenreith Trust that was earmarked for improvements to the rec center.
“I guess what we heard the most was from people that wanted to put in an indoor swimming pool on the east side of the rec center, which had been the original plans when it was built. So there are some members of the community that have expressed a desire to see if we can use that money to finish that part of the construction.”
Part of the contract would be for OPN to design a conceptual site plan for the relationship to the surrounding community, a conceptual floor plan, a cost estimate for the square footage, and prioritize funding. Hammen noted to the Council that the trust funding would not cover the entire cost of the project, which is why they are first doing a feasibility study. Council member and Parks and Rec Board member Matt Wetrich clarified what the targets are for the initial phase with OPN.
“The City would have something to work off of to know what it would take to make it be a reality. So this gets it on paper to know what citizens are really interested in when they say they want to do a pool, and then what the budget would look like for that, upgrading expenses, how it relates to the outdoor pool. So this is the very first step in doing that.”
Hammen invites any interested stakeholders to join the steering committee with an open mind and look at all aspects of the project as it relates to the betterment of the community, while being fiscally prudent to the economic well-being of the community for the future. You can email Hammen at [email protected] to be considered for the steering committee.
