Southlake council hears new plan for community recreation center

The second phase would cost $27 million and include a fitness center, aquatics, gymnasiums and training fields. It would be completed in April 2017.

The city has been looking over ideas for the center for several years as well as pondering how to pay for it without raising taxes. The staff recommendation would accomplish the latter.

The city would cover the first phase with cash already available. It would issue $24.2 million in 20-year bonds to cover the rest, and retire the bonds using both cash on hand and money from a new sales tax district, if an election is held and voters approve.

The immediate next steps toward getting the process started will be discussions with member of the Crime Control and Prevention District, which collects -cent in sales tax. That money has been used to build crime- and safety-related projects such as, for example, the new DPS North Training Facility.

Because most of the public safety capital improvements are built, the district may need less revenue going forward. Regardless of any other plan, 1/8 cent is committed to putting resource officers in every Carroll school this year.

The city also would have to identify what type of sales tax district would be appropriate to support the senior center and community recreation center.

A timeline recommended by staff at the retreat suggests drafting ballot language for an election by April 2015.

The 102,000-square-foot recreation center, after both phases were completed, would include the senior activity center, indoor swimming, an indoor track, cardio and weight fitness, a children's indoor playground, gyms, a community room and 300-seat event hall and a catering kitchen.

A draft rendering includes an outdoor amphitheater and a training field about half the size of a football field.