Swim Center
The Bob Boldrick Theater and the Aquatic Center will be at the top of the list when Parks, Recreation and Open Space makes its request for capital improvement money in the 2019 fiscal year.
On Tuesday, the Parks and Recreation Commission and city staff discussed a wishlist of projects to fund in the next fiscal year, and determined that the priorities were the theater, the pool, new parks equipment, and at least one playground.
“The theater is the most heavily used facility,” said commission member Donna Curtis.
The theater project, which is estimated to cost $600,000, would replace 700 seats, resurface and treat concrete flooring, paint, and remove and replace acoustic panels.
On Monday, the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee voted to allocate more than $183,000 to the project and Parks and Rec has already set aside $170,000.
The pool needs work in several areas, but the commission and staff decided to focus on the most urgent items.
“If you ignore re-plastering it’s tragic. It’s millions of dollars if you don’t keep up on that,” said Jennifer Budge, director, Parks and Rec.
The tentative request to re-plaster gunite in the large, tot, therapy, and outdoor pools is $350,000 in the 2019 fiscal year.
Initially, equipment storage was discussed. On its draft five-year capital improvement plan, Parks and Rec was looking for funding to build storage space at the Public Works Corporate Yard and a shop building at Mills Park, costing roughly $100,000 each.
But in discussion with the commission, it was decided that new equipment, including $25,000 in 2019 for new mowers, would get a higher priority.
Three playgrounds — Mills Park, Sunset Park, and Park Terrace Park — rose to the top of the list of playgrounds needing a makeover, but only one may be allocated the needed funds. It costs about $300,000 to refurbish a playground, said Budge.
All the city departments must submit a prioritized list of capital improvement requests for the 2019 fiscal year by Friday.
In the current fiscal year, Parks and Rec is spending $1.38 million on projects, including a grease trap sewer connection for the Centennial Park concession stand, Prison Hill trailhead, and pool locker room remodel. But more than half that money is coming from the Quality of Life fund, which is funded through sales tax specifically for Parks and Rec.
The commission also heard presentations from Parks and Rec’s two AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers, Chaja Hogeweg and Danielle Hatch, who are working on marketing and community education, respectively, and from Gillian Mandel, who cleaned up Linear Park as her Girl Scout Gold Award Project. And Dan Earp, recreation superintendent, introduced Andrew Menendez, Parks and Rec’s new youth program supervisor.
