Cost estimates out for Batavia rec center

The Batavia Park District expects it will cost about $2.4 million a year to run a fitness center with indoor and outdoor pools, which it is asking voters to approve in a November referendum.

The district has released the estimated costs and income for the recreation and aquatics center it proposes to build at Beach Park. It wants to borrow $36 million to build the center, including redoing Quarry Beach.

The document, called a pro forma budget, also shows how much it would likely charge for memberships.

The biggest part of the operating bill would be $1.02 million for wages and benefits, according to the document, which is posted at bataviaparks.org/FitFun/ProFormaAnalysis.pdf.

It project's potential revenue of almost $2.4 million includes $828,625 from annual and monthly memberships; $242,031 from daily admission; and $1.3 million from programming fees, events and rentals.

The figures are in 2011 dollars, because that is the year the facility is projected to open, if approved by voters.

The district's budget estimates that one of every 13 households in the district would purchase some sort of membership. The document does not include nonresident memberships, although those would be available.

Prices for annual passes range from $250 for a senior citizen who only wants to use the fitness center, to $935 for an all-inclusive family pass, which also includes use of the fitness center and open gym. Nonresidents would be charged 50 percent more.

In comparison, the Geneva Park District currently charges $255 in for an individual membership at its new Persinger Recreation Center (which does not have any swimming pools). A family membership is $460, and a youth/senior is $205. It charges about 35 percent more for nonresidents. Memberships include open-gym privileges.