Indoor Rec Center

[Avenging Eagle]

momof3 said:

AE -
From the letter posted on the PD's website it doesn't sound like the door is slammed shut and locked on indoor tennis.
www.napervilleparks.org/docs/Apr.%2026%20letter.pdf
"At the public forum, we heard from residents who are hoping we can add more amenities to the project. Again, tough choices must be made when being fiscally responsible. We are continuing to seek partnerships that could potentially allow the design plan to be expanded. If successful, additional amenities may be able to be included in the project."

Sounds like it's time for the First Annual NPD Indoor Tennis Ball at WE Clubhouse!

I read that, but I also read that they want to build 2 satellite facilities with equal amenities, so we will end up getting and paying for yet 1 more kiddie pool and dodgeball complex down the road.

The most shocking part of the entire study was the graph which looked at the number of square feet dedicated / resident provided by the PD.

Naperville and Plainfield were scraping the bottom of the barrel, barely even showing up on the y-axis, while other communities enjoyed pools, indoor tracks, dodgeball courts, AND tennis courts; and plenty of square feet per resident.

These NPD guys have been out to lunch.

[bob]

IN their defense, Naperville and Plainfield have had explosive growth in the last ten years. It is tough to catch up.

[momof3]

IIRC, our former PD director was extremely busy taking lavish vacations with the folks he was awarding contracts to...but I don't think the authorities ever charged him with a crime.
That takes a lot of time & attention away from providing indoor space for people.
BTW - I think that sq ft/resident is slightly misleading b/c the ARRC is not included. I guess the pd leases that space.

[momof3]

Naperville Sun weighs in with their anti - rec center position. I wonder who on the editorial staff wrote this...hmmm? (IMO it's only 'controversial' b/c of TW's column and his 5 extremely vocal friends who are very satisified with their .1 sq ft per resident.)

Restoration essential for Riverwalk
The following is a potpourri of opinions on some of last week's news.


• It's good that the Riverwalk Commission is planning on going ahead with replacing the bulkhead walls along the DuPage River.

Parts of the Riverwalk are as much as 25 years old now, and the walls are falling into disrepair.

As one person in the audience at a recent meeting on the issue yelled out, "Anything worth owning is worth taking care of."

We agree, and we would point out that by and large Naperville's local governments, and in particular the city government, have done a good job taking care of the city's assets.

• The Naperville Park District is charging ahead with its plan to build a controversial recreation center on the south side of the city.

There are still no plans to ask the citizenry what it thinks of all this, perhaps because that citizenry turned down a rec center convincingly in a referendum a few years ago.

There is no stopping public officials with money to spend.
• Two Villa Park residents arrested last week in a phony ticket-selling scam show that people need to be careful to whom they give their hard-earned money.

The two allegedly posed as military reservists to sell phony $5 raffle tickets for a nonexistent charity in a scam related to the then-upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

Donald McCarver and his fiancee, Anne Pellegrini, have been charged with felony theft by deception.

In announcing the charges, DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett said "To exploit the men and women who protect our rights and freedoms on the day that we honor them and to misrepresent members of our military for financial gain is a disgrace."

We agree with that sentiment entirely and urge Birkett to prosecute vigorously.

05/30/06

[wvhsparent]

Naperville picks rec center designer
Park district commissioners name architect for $2.2 million contract

By Amy Boerema
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Friday, June 09, 2006

Naperville Park District will start designing its $35 million recreation center, with commissioners Thursday just barely approving a $2.2 million architectural contract.

They voted, 4-3, to hire Gilfillan Callahan Architects of Batavia, which will head a team that includes six other regional and local firms.

Commissioners Charles Brown, Ron Ory and Kristen Jungles voted against the contract.

The proposed 103,000-square-foot facility will go south of 95th Street Library in Frontier Park. It’s slated to have a fitness center, track, studios, classrooms a youth lounge, food bar, a 25-meter pool and a 6,000-square-foot recreation pool and could open in 2008.

But some residents and commissioners were dissatisfied when those amenities were unveiled in April. Some users wanted bigger elements — such as a 50-meter pool or a competitive track — while others were hoping for a better variety of amenities, such as volleyball or tennis courts.

Brown said he thought the board was going to discuss what could be changed or added after that last meeting. And that should be done before agreeing to spend $2.2 million, he said.

“That’s what concerns me,” he said. “I thought we needed more time to mull over the process.”

Ory, who has criticized the recreation center project from the start, said the district still has too many unanswered questions. What’s the center’s intended use? What issues will it address? To what extent?

He also wants to know the total costs for all the projects recommended by the district’s recreation master plan — the community center was one — and how and in what order they’ll be implemented.

“It seems premature to design this building when we haven’t defined the use,” he said.

Jungles, who was board president at the time, was one of the most vocal commissioners about her disappointment with the recommended amenities.

She said she still supports a recreation center, but agrees with Ory that they shouldn’t be allocating money now.

“We haven’t had full discussions on what’s going to go in there,” she said.

Executive Director Barbara Heller said the recommended amenities aren’t set in stone, and the design process is continuously changing.

Commissioner Pam Swafford said some leaders were disappointed because they were focusing on specific elements.

She understood the process to be to hire an architect first, who then will work with commissioners to finalize a design that could include more amenities.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dailyherald.com

[bob]

Ory, who has criticized the recreation center project from the start, said the district still has too many unanswered questions. What’s the center’s intended use? What issues will it address? To what extent?

Boy, is this guy clueless,

[wvhsparent]

bob said:

Ory, who has criticized the recreation center project from the start, said the district still has too many unanswered questions. What’s the center’s intended use? What issues will it address? To what extent?

Boy, is this guy clueless,

I wonder if he knows a certain SB member?

[justvote]

bob said:

Ory, who has criticized the recreation center project from the start, said the district still has too many unanswered questions. What’s the center’s intended use? What issues will it address? To what extent?

Boy, is this guy clueless,

Isn't he part of the "old guard" that's been around a long time (maybe it's time to retire). I think he lives near downtown Naperville, and it is my guess that he's not very familiar with anything south of 75th st. Does he realize how stupid that makes him sound? I'm glad they're moving forward with the project.

[momof3]

South Naperville finally gets some facilities and now it's suddenly a terrible idea. I have been keeping track of all of the opposition letters in the paper and nearly all of them are from N of 75th street - including TW of the Sun. No surprise here.


It's a rocky road for $35 million rec center

December 17, 2006
BY JENNIFER GOTZ Staff Writer
In this first part of a two-part exclusive series, Sun reporter Jennifer Golz examines the background, cost and community opposition to the project.

The idea for a new state-of-the-art indoor recreation facility for south Naperville has been percolating since 2005. Late last week the $35 million project - slated for a budget vote this Tuesday - reached the boiling point.

The Frontier Park Recreation Center will turn a profit - at least according to the Naperville Park District's feasibility study, dated April 2006, which has yet to be released to the public.

But many critics of the project have expressed extremely contrasting views of the cost, need and potential benefits the facility will bring Naperville.

Late last week The Sun obtained the 71-page feasibility report marked "draft."

As of press time, Executive Director Barbara Heller had not returned repeated calls and park board President Marie Todd did not want to comment on the report or this story.

Commissioner Ron Ory said all the Park District's documents should be made available to the public.

"We need to conduct the public's business in public," he said.

But there are no plans to release the financials of the project to the public, which is why the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce has stepped in and is reviewing all aspects of the proposed facility.

"We shouldn't have to be filing Freedom of Information requests to obtain information about tax-supported community projects," Chamber President Mike Skarr said. "That does not seem to be a good practice."

A Chamber task force has been formed to review the feasibility study and other Park District financial documents and will make a formal presentation to the park board Tuesday at its special meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Park District administration center board room, 320 W. Jackson Ave.

Both the 2007 budget, which will allow for the $35 million expenditure to construct the Frontier Park Center, and the prospect of placing an advisory referendum question on the April ballot are expected to be voted on Tuesday.

"Just because you have the money does not means that's the right thing to do," Skarr said. "I think a lot of people are asking how they ended up with the (bonding) capacity without the community having a say in it."

At what cost?
The total estimated cost for the Frontier Park Recreation Center is $35 million.
Ten million will come from the reallocation of internal resources - $6 million from developer cash donations and $4 million from unrestricted cash funds. The remaining $25 million balance will be taken on in debt with the issuance of bonds to fund the project.

Like consumer credit cards, the Park District has a credit-to-debt ratio. That ratio has been building for the last several years, allowing the district to assume the $25 million in debt without voter approval.

The bonds are like a mortgage, district finance director Mindy Munn said, that needs to be paid back in 20 years.

In order to meet the estimated $2 million annual repayment, the district is reallocating funds from its capital budget. The capital budget pays for the development and renovation of park space, facilities and equipment.

Previously, 100 percent of the Park District's approximate $8 million annual capital budget was allocated to the development of outdoor recreation, Munn said.

But under the proposed 2007 budget, 25 percent will be reallocated to indoor recreation to make the annual debt repayment, at least for the next 20 years.

"If you're spending $35 million, what's not getting done?" Skarr wants to know.

Recreation director Brad Wilson said the construction of the Frontier Park Recreation Center will not come at the expense of other district projects.

"We still will have money to put towards those facilities - it's just reallocating those funds to indoor space we've been completely neglecting for the past several years," he said.

Wilson also said the operational costs of the Frontier Park Center will not affect other programming, as the recreation center will be self-sustaining.

Who profits?
According to the district's feasibility study, the Frontier Park Recreation Center's annual operating cost will be $3.8 million. Revenue is estimated to be $4.3 million, meaning an approximate half-million in annual profit.
The lion's share of revenue is projected to come from the 3,477 annual passes that are expected be sold to the tune of $2.8 million.

According to the survey, another $259,000 in revenue is estimated to come from the sale of daily passes, or those who want to use the facility but not join as a member. That would require the sale of 30,320 daily passes per year, or more then 80 per day.

"They are assuming someone is going to pay $10 to use the exercise equipment and pool and I don't know why anyone would," chamber member and operations and maintenance consultant Rich Goulet said.

"If you can join the health club for $25 to $29 a month - why would someone bother to walk in?"

Wilson said the figures account for the anticipated popularity of the leisure pool in the rec center, as it will be the only one in Naperville.

Like in Naperville, the leisure pool at the Fox Valley Park District's Vaughan Athletic Center is also the only one in Aurora. But the Vaughan Center, which is nearly twice the size of the proposed Frontier Park Center, only earns about $136,600 annually from daily pass sales. That's more than a $122,000 difference from the Park District's revenue projections.

Survey says
Goulet also takes issue with the projected income from rental by private parties of the facility.
In order to meet the $266,000 annual rental revenue projections, 20 birthday parties would need to be held per week and at least one lane of the 10-lane lap pool will need to be rented 20 hours per day for private use.

"The revenue seems too aggressive and the operating side needs more analysis," Goulet said. "I support the center, but I don't support their statistics and I don't see the support that justifies spending $35 million."

Heritage YMCA President Tom Beerntsen said recreation facilities barely break even, let alone earn a profit.

In the rare instances that such a facility is successful, it's only during the initial year of operations, he said.

"It's like a new store that opens," Beerntsen said. "It starts off great and then reaches a stable point.

"That's true of recreation facilities, parks and rec or the YMCA," he said.

But Park District officials say differently, citing the community's wants as expressed in the 2005 Community Interest and Opinion Survey.

Of 884 Naperville households polled, 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively, said indoor swimming and fitness facilities are most important to them.

Indoor recreations did not fall in the top three priorities for Naperville households, which were 52 percent favoring walking and bike trails, 40 percent for more small neighborhood parks and 25 percent for more children's playgrounds.

"Fifty-two percent of people want to walk and ride bicycles," Goulet said. "Is that why they put walking trails through the parking lot (of the Frontier Park Center)?"

Contact Jennifer Golz at [e-mail] /a> /a> /a> /a> /a> or 630-416-5278.

[wvhsparent]

That's cuz they percieve all those big houses down there and assume thay all have their own rec centers in their homes or the clubhouses.

[momof3]

Well, now the PD is re-thinking the rec center. I have to admit, I was fully in support of this project until I saw the fees. $88/month for a family membership for park district residents seems steep after we paid the $35 mil to build it. I kind of think the project should be scaled down - we definately need the indoor programming space and the pool would be great, but I think the health club can be axed.

www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/208251,6_1_NA12_PARK_S1.article

Park board votes to slam brakes on $35 million rec center plan
Officials plan to seek public input before proceeding

January 12, 2007
By Jennifer Golz
Staff Writer

Naperville residents will get their say on the proposed Frontier Park Recreation Center - but not via referendum.

In a surprise move Thursday, the park board unanimously voted to suspend all design and construction work until further notice of the $35 million rec center on the city's south side.

"We need to embrace more public conversation and embrace more public input," Commissioner Pam Swafford said.

Swafford's absence from last week's meeting - during which an advisory referendum was killed when the board deadlocked 3-3 - left her as the only option for such a measure if she called for a revote.

She didn't. Instead Swafford said she spoke with local and state elected officials, city leaders and community members on the matter.

"The one thing I found out this week is that there is an overwhelming support for the need of indoor space in this community," Swafford said. "But we are not in sync as community as how to get there. We need to listen to the people in the community."

Swafford suggested questions from both the park board and public be compiled, answered by staff and placed on the district's Web site, along with all documentation relating to the project, before any more forward movement on the proposed rec center takes place.

President Marie Todd said she agreed and suggested the first meeting for the board take place next week. But Swafford and Commissioner Kristen Jungles disagreed.

"This is not something we can schedule a meeting for next week and go from there," Jungles said.

Only after public input is sought should the board discuss the design and financials, she said.

"We may find the components we have now are not what the community is asking for," Jungles said. "If that's the case, it could have a (different) financial impact to the Park District."

Commissioner Ron Ory agreed and asked that approval of the 2007 budget be postponed, as the board has until March 31 to pass its fiscal year budget.

The $61.5 million budget, which authorizes the expenditure of $25 million in bonds for the construction of the proposed center, was approved 4-3 with Ory, Jungles and Commissioner Charlie Brown - the same three who voted in favor of an advisory referendum - against.

"I don't feel comfortable passing a budget right now that includes the rec center," Brown said.

District attorney Steve Adam said the 2007 budget can be amended at any time.

"It is not a commitment that it will proceed with any particular project, least of all the rec center," he said.

Ory said he felt the board has sufficient time to adopt the budget as it's "only days into the year."

Adams said he should be more concerned with the timeline of the construction and architectural contracts the board already has entered into for the rec center.

"We will incur additional expenses," he said. "We don't know how much, but if this is suspended for a period of 30 days or more it will cost more."

Additionally, Adams said if the suspensions last longer than 90 days, all parties in contract with the district for the rec center have the right to renegotiate.

"That is the consequence of your action tonight," he said.

But even Commissioner Mary Wright, who has been a vocal proponent of the project, said she was "fine with that" if everyone else was. They were.

Contact Jennifer Golz at [e-mail] /a> or 630-416-5278.

[EagleDad]

$88/month for residents ($1050/year) !!!!

Ouch, where'd you see that? Holy public funded private club Batman.

[momof3]

ED - I read it in a Sun article and now I can't find the article directly but will keep searching. According to the Dec 18 article:

"The lion's share of revenue is projected to come from the 3,477 annual passes that are expected be sold to the tune of $2.8 million."

That works out to $67 / pass - with individuals probably being lower and families probably being higher.
I'll keep looking for the exact figures.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/175852,6_1_NA17_CENTER_S1.article

[momof3]

OK here it is - my mistake - it's $83/month for a family - still very expensive, however.

www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/175871,6_1_NA17_CENTER_S4.article

Proposed fee structure

December 17, 2006

Residents Daily Cost Annual Pass Monthly Cost

Child (0-2) Free N/A N/A


Child (3-4) $5 $350 $29.17

Youth (5-19) $7 $450 $37.50

Adult $9 $575 $47.92

Senior $7 $450 $37.50

Family N/A $1,000 $83.33

Non-residents Daily Cost Annual Pass Monthly Cost

Child (0-2) N/A N/A N/A

Child (3-4) $7 $400 $33.33

Youth (5-19) $9 $575 $47.92

Adult $11 $700 $58.33

Senior $9 $575 $47.92

Family N/A $1,200 $100

[EagleDad]

You weren't off by much.

A Grand a year? Just lost me - shut the whole thing down, IMO