Several proposals focused on repurposing high-traffic spaces within West University Place's recreation center are being reviewed by City Council.
“With the proposed improvements, we’re looking at services to our members that pay annual dues, with the goal of increasing membership, which helps offset the operations of that facility,” City Manager Dave Beach said at the Aug. 25 City Council meeting.
According to city officials, more than 4,000 memberships are associated with the recreation center, and more than 300 children are enrolled in swim teams. Parks and Recreation Director Susan White said the city’s aquatics program is the No. 1 revenue generator for the recreation center.
“It’s a really fine balance, trying to balance the usage between our residents who are there to use the pool for fitness and also swim lesson revenue,” White said.
Sorting out details
The city’s design architects from Pierce Goodwin Alexander and Linville provided updates during the meeting. Three proposed improvement areas were discussed, including:
- Area 1: Cardio and weight room expansion, plus adding new equipment
- Area 2: Viewing room and aquatics workspace expansion with additional roofing and window coverage in front of the building
- Area 3: Multipurpose rooms renovations to split them into two multifunction courts and storage rooms
Costs associated with all three areas were estimated at $2.7 million, according to PGAL documents. The estimated itemized cost for each area was:
- Area 1: $1.1 million
- Area 2: $1.3 million
- Area 3: $298,590
Beach described how the city is doing what he called a “pretty good job” with cost recovery associated with membership dues, actual usage and long-term sustainability.
“I think we’re in the 70% range with cost recovery,” Beach said.
The timeline
Several funding components were also discussed at the meeting. City staff indicated how the proposed improvements could be funded by the city’s capital reserve funds. Staff mentioned that the potential cost of new equipment in the cardio and weight room could be offset by the volunteer-based organization Friends of West U Parks.
West U officials and PGAL have been engaging with the public on recreation center upgrades since May 2024 through discussions on the Facilities Master Plan, according to PGAL’s presentation.
Going forward
While no decision was made at the Aug. 25 meeting, City Council agreed that more specific datasets were needed from staff before moving forward. Information being requested includes detailed usage numbers, feedback from the city’s swim team leadership and analysis on how the proposed changes could impact revenue and return on investments.
