Boone officials have seen enough.
The future of a publicly funded recreation center remains somewhat murky after it failed to gain enough votes as a special ballot measure in the Nov. 5 general election.
A $10 million bond to build a 37,000-square-foot community recreation complex with indoor and outdoor amenities failed with 48% of voters saying “Yes,” while 52% said “No,” according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State Business. State office.
The bond required a 60% “Yes” to pass.
Boone Mayor Elijah Stines said he didn’t know why support for the bond was so low. He emphasized that they have modified the most recent proposal to try to accommodate housing needs
“The overriding sentiment of the City Council (Boone) and myself is that voters have clearly indicated that they are not in favor of a bond measure to finance the construction of such a facility, even with the numerous changes made to the proposal. ” said Stijnen.
The city of Boone also voted on a rec center bond during a 2022 special election, which fell short of the 60% threshold by 150 votes.
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Boone decides to submit plans for recreation centers
While the city’s 2022 and 2024 plans for recreation centers were similar, they had some key differences.
The 2022 plan for the recreation center would have built the facility downtown, while the most recent proposal would have placed the building near Boone Middle School. The 2024 plan would also have been funded by Boone’s local option tax and private donations.
The 2022 plan originally called for a 3% increase in residential electric bills, but was reduced to 2% after Fareway committed $2 million to the project, the largest donation in the company’s history.
The new recreation center is estimated to generate an economic impact of approximately $1.5 million, leaving room for significant expansion.
Stines, pointing to the failed bond and some key adjustments, said Boone will no longer pursue a city-funded recreation facility.
“The city will not pay further attention to cooperation for such a project in the near future,” the mayor said.
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A rendering of what the interior of a proposed recreation complex in Boone could look like. Residents can vote on Nov. 5 for a $10 million bond to partially finance the facility.
What would the recreation center have cost?
Under the 2024 plan, the Boone rec center’s operating costs would have been $650,000 per year, and revenue projections would have exceeded that within five years. The first phase of the recreation center, which included construction, grading and seeding of the outdoor athletic fields, equipment and furnishings, would have cost $19.7 million.
The $10 million bond would have been used to construct, improve and equip the facility, and would have been repaid using local option tax funds and re-appropriated debt service funds.
Boone formed a committee that would have raised the remaining $9.7 million through private sources.
Boone residents opposed to the recreation center were “concerned” about the nearly $20 million cost and were also “tired” of future expansion costs.
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A rendering of what the interior of a proposed recreation complex in Boone could look like. Residents can vote on Nov. 5 for a $10 million bond to partially finance the facility.
Residents were suspicious of a plan without a pool
The 2024 recreation center designs include four multi-purpose courts for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, indoor soccer and more. Additional features included a walking path, playground and indoor flex space.
Residents opposed to the recreation center felt the plans had changed to “the equivalent of a private AAU sports complex,” losing sight of the “original vision to be a facility for the general public.”
An indoor pool was the most requested amenity by Boone residents, but was not included in the proposed design “due to the cost to build and maintain,” according to representatives from the architectural and engineering firm ISG.
Architects said there would have been room to add a swimming pool in the future.
Several Boone residents felt that the community’s “wishes” were ignored by omitting a pool and were skeptical about its inclusion in future plans.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, politics and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Boone shelves plans for recreation center after band fails for second time
