Editors Note: In October of 2000 the Crossville City Council was looking at both an indoor recreation facility and soccer fields for Centennial Park. Soccer Fields were eventually built near I-40. An Indoor Recreational Facility has been discussed off and on a number of times since then.
Crossville City Hall in 2000 (Photo by Jim Young)
Crossville city council commissioned feasibility studies on both an indoor recreation facility and new soccer fields as part of the Crossville Recreation Park expansion plans.
Council spent a great deal of time at their monthly meeting Tuesday night discussing the proposals and the recreation needs of the public. Council accepted a proposal from the architects and engineers Hart Freeland Roberts (HFR) to prepare a feasibility study on an indoor recreation facility for the city recreation park expansion. The study will cost $16,000 plus expenses. The Firm will hold several meetings for public input on the project as well as use a mail-out survey to gather information on community wants and needs.
A very preliminary estimate on the construction cost of an indoor recreation facility totaled $6.4 million. Councilman Wendell Kerley said several things could be removed to reduce that cost by up to $400,000.
As an example, Kerley said he felt the child care area was not needed and that other similar facilities the council visited did not find these programs successful.
Councilman Gene Turner said there was a lot of interest in the indoor facility, but he felt the council needed to stick with its priorities, specifically the ball and soccer fields then re-look at the indoor facility next spring during budget hearings.
Councilman Wyatt agreed with Turner saying, “We have a lot on our plate! We need ball and soccer fields. I would love to see this finished, but annual operating costs could be enormous.”
“I think the city can afford to do this,” stated Councilman Ronny Hill.
Hill explained he had asked the city finance director to run numbers on a $10 million bond issue to cover both the ball fields and an indoor facility and yearly payments would be $646,000 per year over 28 years at 4.5 percent interest. Hill added that he thought that the Lebanon facility broke even after one year of operation.
Mayor J. H. Graham III said he felt the public needed a chance to tell the council and planners what they would like to see in such a facility. Graham also wanted numbers on operating costs and break even numbers for the required number of members to make the facility self-supporting.
Graham added that an additional 25 percent of the construction costs would be needed to equip and furnish the building along with a number of employees needed to man the facility.
Councilman Turner cautioned that the city had many expensive projects it was considering including some $30 million in water improvements and another $10 million for recreation.
“Our children and grandchildren will pay for this. It will take a long time and may require a tax increase,” cautioned Turner. He added, “It would be bad to have two swimming pools and not have water to put in them.”
Councilman Kerley reminded council that water and recreation are not funded out of the same revenue. Sales tax cannot fund the water system improvements and water revenue cannot go into the general fund. Kerley added that he has had more response from the public on the indoor recreation facility than anything council has considered before.
On a motion by Kerley, seconded by Councilman Hill, approval of a feasibility study by HFR at a cost of $16,000 was approved unanimously.
Once the report is put together, the council and the design firm will meet to look at what facilities and amenities are needed in the project.
Council also approved HFR to conduct a second feasibility study for three planned soccer fields. Council commissioned the study based on preliminary plans for soccer fields to be located on vacant land in the city industrial park. The location is between the offices of Middle Tennessee Gas and Volunteer Electric Cooperative.
Council also approved the low bid of J. Paul Smith for site preparation work on the planned four new ball fields in the recreation park expansion that the city hopes to have completed in time for next summers hosting of the Dixie Belles World Series. The low bid was $219,750.
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