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Item 1.
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| City Council Work Session | |
| Date: | 11/15/2021 |
| Title: | South Billings Aquatic and Recreation Center Master Plan and Feasibility Study |
| Presented by: | Mike Whitaker, Parks, Recreation & Public Lands Director |
| Department: | Parks/Rec/Public Lands |
| Presentation: | Yes |
RECOMMENDATION
There is no recommendation as this item is to present and discuss with City Council the South Billings Aquatic and Recreation Center Master Plan and Feasibility Study (see attached). As directed by Council, staff will put this master plan on a future Council agenda for formal consideration and adoption. No formal action will be taken at this work session.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
The focus of the South Billings Aquatic & Recreation Center Master Plan is to review the feasibility for a future indoor recreation center in the South Billings area. The goal of the plan is to create a framework for a multi-generational facility that best reflects the needs of the community, best practices for programming a recreation center, site viability, and budget. The Master Plan process took place over a nine-month period culminating in May 2019 with the selection of a preferred site and two program options.
The primary outcomes of the Master Plan are as follows:
In addition to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, a previous study for an indoor sports facility was conducted by Victus Advisors in March 2018. The Victus Plan recommended a sports tournament facility be developed in the South Billings area housing a court sports tournament field house, competition aquatics center, and an ice complex.
Utilizing this information, along with focus group input, community engagement, a statistically valid public survey, and steering committee guidance, this study followed a process of Listen, Collaborate, Apply. It was important for the consulting team to gather information throughout the study process through a variety of means, including meetings with community leaders, stakeholder interviews, public information sessions with activities, and benchmarking tours of similar facilities. Using all these aspects of participation allowed the Design Team to glean the right combination of information in a creative fashion to identify the true needs of the future South Billings Aquatic & Recreation Center.
The result of the public input process led to a variety of possibilities for recreation services in Billings. The results in the Master Plan unify the potential for creating great recreational, sports league/tournament, and social gathering experiences that could reshape the activity landscape and culture of the South Billings area and the community as a whole.
The new multi-generational center will act as a destination facility, providing a gateway to indoor recreation for the City of Billings, as well as the wealth of current offerings within the community for those that travel from outlying areas. The site design considers connections to the surrounding infrastructure, road network, and highways, as well as integration with the surrounding Amend Park in a way that augments what is already offered at the existing sports hub.
The building diagram is configured in a manner with multiple entries and connection points for access to the various activities while maintaining proper control for the core recreation functions. It is also organized to allow for multiple sporting and community events to occur simultaneously, while atmospheric separations are maintained without losing visual connections within the building or to the landscape beyond. An additional benefit of laying out the facility in this manner allows for the potential for phasing with minimal disruption when it may be required depending on funding.
The result of the process is a foundational master plan for the South Billings Aquatic & Recreation Center. The master plan will serve as the framework to begin the Concept Design phase, the next step in the project planning. The Concept Design phase will further explore the program amenities, facility design, site configuration, and project cost.
The primary outcomes of the Master Plan are as follows:
- Identify recreation programming for the South Billings Aquatic & Recreation Center specific to the City of Billings and the surrounding region based on community feedback
- Select a site for the future facility
- Determine a conceptual program layout and capital budget for the project
- Organize program layout in a manner that allows for potential phasing based on funding available
- Develop operations proforma range to evaluate the potential cost recovery for the program options and phases
In addition to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, a previous study for an indoor sports facility was conducted by Victus Advisors in March 2018. The Victus Plan recommended a sports tournament facility be developed in the South Billings area housing a court sports tournament field house, competition aquatics center, and an ice complex.
Utilizing this information, along with focus group input, community engagement, a statistically valid public survey, and steering committee guidance, this study followed a process of Listen, Collaborate, Apply. It was important for the consulting team to gather information throughout the study process through a variety of means, including meetings with community leaders, stakeholder interviews, public information sessions with activities, and benchmarking tours of similar facilities. Using all these aspects of participation allowed the Design Team to glean the right combination of information in a creative fashion to identify the true needs of the future South Billings Aquatic & Recreation Center.
The result of the public input process led to a variety of possibilities for recreation services in Billings. The results in the Master Plan unify the potential for creating great recreational, sports league/tournament, and social gathering experiences that could reshape the activity landscape and culture of the South Billings area and the community as a whole.
The new multi-generational center will act as a destination facility, providing a gateway to indoor recreation for the City of Billings, as well as the wealth of current offerings within the community for those that travel from outlying areas. The site design considers connections to the surrounding infrastructure, road network, and highways, as well as integration with the surrounding Amend Park in a way that augments what is already offered at the existing sports hub.
The building diagram is configured in a manner with multiple entries and connection points for access to the various activities while maintaining proper control for the core recreation functions. It is also organized to allow for multiple sporting and community events to occur simultaneously, while atmospheric separations are maintained without losing visual connections within the building or to the landscape beyond. An additional benefit of laying out the facility in this manner allows for the potential for phasing with minimal disruption when it may be required depending on funding.
The result of the process is a foundational master plan for the South Billings Aquatic & Recreation Center. The master plan will serve as the framework to begin the Concept Design phase, the next step in the project planning. The Concept Design phase will further explore the program amenities, facility design, site configuration, and project cost.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternatives were not analyzed as no formal action will be taken at the work session.
FISCAL EFFECTS
There are no fiscal effects associated with this work session item as no formal action will be taken.