“We have participation at the Westside [Recreation Center], there's no doubt about that. We’ve always known we needed something on the west side, but the problem is we cannot build in the floodway,” Assistant City Administrator Nancy Mikeska said.
Mikeska said while the city hopes to keep the recreation center in operation until Dec. 31, if equipment continues to malfunction, the facility will close before that date.
How we got here
The city of Conroe purchased the building in 2021 for $2.5 million to house several amenities and provide residents a facility closer to the west side of Conroe, Mikeska said in a presentation at City Council’s Nov. 13 workshop meeting.
The center’s annual budget including the cost of staff is $1 million, excluding the cost of repairs, Mikeska said.
Mikeska said the current repair concerns include:
- Shifting of the building
- Plumbing issues
- Electrical issues
- Rusted and collapsed stairs
- Malfunctioning equipment
- Heating, ventilation, air conditioning issues
- Chiller issues
- Elevators issues
- Pool issues
Westside Recreation Center is located within a floodway, according to flood zone maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“This is a 100% floodway property, and it has issues,” Mikeska said. “Every time there is a rain, it doesn't have to be a hurricane, just a rain, the river gets out of its bank and it continues to flood.”
By the numbers
Mikeska said the attendance at the center for the month of August includes:
- Total scans: 3,192
- Daily fees: 152
- Kid zone: 212
The Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center is expected to open in the spring of 2025. The 87,000-square-foot facility will include features such as three basketball courts, event spaces, a pond and a recreation center, as previously reported.
More details
The city is working on conducting a study to decide the future use of the property; council member Howard Wood and Mikeska said listing the property for sale is not on the table.
Options for using the land could include a disc golf course, an archery course and birding and nature trails, Mikeska said.
“We’re proposing that we look at this and see what’s best for our taxpayers without continuing to put money into something that we’re getting nowhere,” Mikeska said.
