College Station City Council discusses potential for future rec center

College Station residents may be one splash closer to having a future recreation center in town, after the city council heard a presentation from City Manager Bryan Woods during Thursday night’s meeting.

“The idea of a future recreation center has been around for a while and we have had several discussions at council meetings, and we have talked about it previously during the budget process and strategic planning,” he said. “If you remember going back to February 2020, we did an update going back to a previous study related to this. We did random phone interviews and we had [7%] of them identify as a student, but a majority of them were not, and as part of that we looked at some general locations.”

Of the general locations that were considered previously included having a rec center near Stephen C. Beachy Central Park off of Texas 6 Frontage Road; near Baylor Scott and White Hospital within the Midtown Development; and near Fire Station 6 at the corner of University Drive East and Tarrow Street, Woods said.

As a comparison, Woods showcased six recreation centers around Texas including the Eastside Rec Center in El Paso, which is 101,000 square feet and cost $46 million; Legends Event Center in Bryan, which is 115,000 square feet and cost $40 million; Terrell Rec Center in Allen, which is 149,000 square feet and cost $54 million; Beacon Rec Center in Arlington, which is 36,000 square feet and cost $26 million; and the TAMU Southside Rec Center, which is 63,000 square feet and cost $35 million.

“As staff we believe that if council wants to pursue this, the next step is to put out a request for qualifications for a firm to help us start the process of community engagement, understanding the cost and the size and location and all of those things that we need to do from a preliminary standpoint so we can start down that road,” Woods said in conclusion to his presentation.

Mayor Karl Mooney started off the conversation and shed light on his hope to bring a YMCA to College Station.

“As you all know we recently had the YMCA here to visit with us to talk about programs that the [YMCA] could bring, but most importantly it was to get folks together so that they could talk about a recreation center and elements they would like to see in a recreation center,” he said. “We heard at this meeting that a natatorium was in the minds of our folks. … They were talking about a pool that would be a competitive pool that could possibly serve our high schools. Right now the only high school that can have a swim team is A&M Consolidated.”

During an Oct. 11 meeting, Mooney and four other council members, along with two city managers, heard from YMCA representatives and community members at City Hall to engage in a dialogue about ways to bring the organization to town.

“We are having another informational meeting with the YMCA here again,” he said. “In the election just completed, I think that also for some folks who have talked to me since then, they felt a pool at Mabel Clare Thomas Park was not going to be adequate.”

During Tuesday’s midterm election, College Station residents voted down Proposition E of the bond projects which was for Mabel Clare Thomas Park Pool, and totaled $3.9 million to construct a swimming pool in Thomas Park. Mooney also noted that the YMCA strives to have adequate funds and has a scholarship program so that everyone can join.

“The YMCA may not be the only organization that can run this. Certainly the city might choose to run it and that will be for the new council to decide,” he said. “I certainly would encourage the YMCA to listen to what our needs are and perhaps to be a part of the planning.”

Councilman Dennis Maloney said he attended the previous YMCA meeting and was looking forward to the next one.

“I want to hear more from the citizens,” he said. “And I would also like to delve more into what the YMCA thinks where would be the best location and how they would manage it, and what kind of partnership we would have if they can supply scholarships; and if they can help us with other things because they have a wealth of experience. I am all aboard for a recreation center, it is long overdue. With 100-degree weather with 55 days out of the year, it is about time you had a place where you don’t have to get dehydrated when you go outside.”

Councilwoman Linda Harvell said she would like to see how compatible it would be in having a city-owned recreation center versus a YMCA.

“I would be interested as a cost comparison as a customer service type of thing, what are the advantages and disadvantages because we have talked about it but I haven’t seen that kind of proposal,” she said.

In response, Woods said they would see what it would look like if the city were to run the center. Councilman Bob Brick said he was in full support of a recreation center, and wanted to be sure there was a way to implement a scholarship program regardless who manages it.

Councilman John Crompton expressed many avenues the city should consider before deciding on a recreation center. Ultimately he said while he was in support, he wanted to be sure the city catered this center to a specific niche in the community that has not been fulfilled; with consideration for how many parks and pools the city already has.

“What I want to see is a definitive niche for these facilities that is not filled by anybody else,” he said. “If we do have a business plan on this, I hope that they pick somebody … who are pretty good at putting business plans together and finding niches.”

Councilman John Nichols, elected as mayor in Tuesday’s election, said he was in support of city staff looking into how and where to have the center.

“I haven’t heard much discussion here about what our funding capacity is if the city is to be the initiator,” he said. “If we have savings, if we have debt capacity and the citizens want it. ... I would like to see that early on how much we are willing to commit to this in a sustainable long-term way.”

After the discussion, the council directed staff to look into locations for a rec center, its size and features, applicable programming, funding possibilities and if the city or a community partner would manage it.

John Nicks of College Station also spoke after the discussion and said he would like the council to consider ADA accessibility for any type of rec center they pursue.

The next YMCA public input meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 in the council chambers located at 1101 Texas Ave.