Lisle park district to ask residents about building new rec center

Lisle Park District officials are launching a campaign this week to gauge support for possible construction of a 75,000-square-foot recreation center to meet a growing demand for indoor facilities.

The complex likely would cost more than $15 million and be built at the site of the current Community Center at 1825 Short St. The existing center would be razed.

The plan would require voters to approve a tax increase that could appear on the ballot as early as November, said Dan Garvy, director of parks and recreation. Exactly how much that increase would cost taxpayers hasn't been determined.

Garvy said officials hope to measure community support for the project over the next two months before deciding whether to pursue it in earnest.

The proposal grew out of concerns with existing indoor park facilities at the Community Center and the Meadows Center, 5801 Westview Lane, which are aging, outdated and in need of extensive repairs.

It could cost as much as $10 million to fix and modernize those buildings, which combined cover about 40,000 square feet, Garvy said, "and at the end of the day we will have done nothing to address our indoor space constraints."

Officials say the new facility would be more expensive than repairing the old ones, but would be nearly twice as large, provide state-of-the-art amenities and be designed with greater flexibility to meet future needs. The project probably would take 12 to 18 months to complete.

The extra space would house two full-sized basketball courts, a track and a larger fitness facility.

The building also would contain the Gentle Learning Preschool, an arts and crafts room, a senior wing, staff offices and possibly even feature a "green roof" over a portion of the complex.

Almost as importantly, it would allow the park district to abandon the Meadows Center, which it now rents from Lisle Unit District 202, and permit the school system to rid itself of the 40-year-old building.

Officials say the Meadows Center's condition is a concern to both districts. They say it needs a new roof, structural improvements and work on everything from its heating and air conditioning to its electrical systems.

The park district would hope to maintain its fields and other outdoor amenities at the Meadows site.

Garvy said some park users have urged the district to consider a new recreation center for a long time. The real question is whether the rest of the community agrees.

"We expect people (initially) to be surprised by the idea for a new facility," he said.

Residents will get a chance to hear the conceptual plan and provide input at a series of meetings scheduled in March and April. The first of those is slated for 8:30 a.m. March 1 at the Community Center. Others will follow during the evenings of March 11, March 13 and April 22 and the morning of April 12.

Park board President Don Cook said the sessions will be critical to the project's future.

"I really like the concept … I like the idea of bringing everything under one roof in one area," Cook said. "But the public input will be really important to us."

Park officials met Tuesday with a group of about 15 residents who are well-acquainted with the district to begin gathering feedback.

Garvy said their discussion included questions about funding, programming, components of the proposed center "and some things that we hadn't thought of yet."

The district is working with Williams Architects, the Carol Stream-based firm that oversaw construction of both Sea Lion Aquatic Park and The View Restaurant & Bar at River Bend Golf Course.

The architects estimate construction will cost between $200 a square foot and $250 a square foot.

"That's a tough nut to crack," Garvy said. "I want to be as deliberate and cautious as we can be."

The timetable calls for measuring the community's response by the end of April. If there's enough support, the architect will begin preparing more detailed drawings and cost estimates.

If all goes well, the park board would be ready to vote in August on whether to pursue a tax increase.

If the public makes it clear it doesn't support the plan, park leaders will face a different set of challenges, Garvy said, including the possibility of having to purchase the Meadows Center and embark on costly renovations. The district's lease for the building expires in September 2009.

"No matter what happens, we have to do something about indoor space," Garvy said, "(and) it's probably going to cost everybody a little more money."

If you go

What: Public meetings on a proposed new recreation center in Lisle

When: 8:30 a.m. March 1 at the Community Center, 1825 Short St.; 7 p.m. March 11 at the Community Center; 7 p.m. March 13 at the Meadows Center, 5801 Westview Lane; 8:30 a.m. April 12 at the Community Center; and 7 p.m. April 22 at the Community Center

Info: (630) 964-3410 or visit www.lisleparkdistrict.org