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First to be torn up was the sports
complex entrance, so all patrons must now use the main entry off
Primm Road. Next, the east gym and weight room will be demolished.
Then comes the construction. The current line of tennis and
basketball courts will be extended, and new air-conditioned cardio
fitness and weight areas will be built.
Hein Construction of Peoria is the
contractor.
Plans show a tennis court, basketball
court and two basketball-volleyball courts in place of the current
three courts. In addition, the area will be realigned to make the
courts larger. Marcia Greenslate, executive director for the park
district, said all present courts will be resurfaced, but the exact
composition of one floor is yet to be decided. It may be for
basketball only, or it may be playable for either basketball or
tennis. Surfaces suitable for both sports are tough to find,
Greenslate cautioned, but park district officials are trying to
accommodate as many needs as possible.
Other changes include a new pool
filtration system and completely renovated locker rooms. In timing,
these come first so as to be ready for the swim season, beginning at
the end of May. In fact, the filtration system is already in place
and merely needs to be hooked up.
On March 3, after Junior Railer
basketball and other scheduled events finish, Shawgo Construction of
Lincoln will begin tearing down the weight room and gym. It is
expected to take three weeks to demolish the original sports
complex. Equipment will be moved about Feb. 26 to the front office
area and will remain there until completion of the project,
scheduled for Nov. 30. Cardio equipment will occupy the former
ceramics room; weight equipment, the Railer Room and free weights
will be just outside the lobby double doors.
Other facilities will be out of
commission for far shorter periods. For example, changes to the
aerobics room are expected to take three to four days, so activity
will be disrupted for less than a week, Greenslate said.
Farnsworth Group of Peoria is the
architect. The firm designed the Pontiac recreation center, which
Greenslate described as "a super facility." Plans for the Lincoln
project are on display in the park district lobby.
The $1.7 million project will be paid
for with debt certificates. Greenslate likened them to a home equity
loan, with the district pledging its non-referendum bonding power to
pay off the certificates in 10 years.
Real estate taxes will go up -- about
$50 on a $100,000 house, Greenslate said. She explained that tax
caps do not apply to the district's ability to issue bonds, which is
regulated by the Illinois Park District Code. Kevin Heid, vice
president of First Midstate investment bankers in Bloomington, said:
"The park district has the ability to issue non-referendum bonds
provided the amount of the bonds does not exceed the district's
legal limit for such issuance of .575 percent of the district's
total equalized assessed valuation, and the annual tax levies for
principal and interest repayment do not exceed the district's debt
service extension base ($587,064)."
Although structural needs are the
reason for the project, current low interest rates dictate the
timing. Greenslate explained that the district would not get as much
for the money if the project were tackled piecemeal. Almost
certainly in such a case, some parts would be financed at higher
interest rates.
At one time the five-member Lincoln
Park District Board of Commissioners considered a referendum to
increase district funding and give more options, but board members
scaled back in response to public opinion. A news release signed by
board president Clarence Barney, Jr., and other members John
Andrews, Greg Curry, Dave Perring and Jim Sparrow states: "The
proposed work has been substantially altered to account for
community concerns regarding budget while at the same time doing
what needs to be done to keep the facility in acceptable order."
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New
building plans
Plans call for building 20,000 square
feet and demolishing 21,000 square feet. Though the end result is
1,000 square feet smaller, it is more efficiently arranged,
Greenslate said. For example, locker rooms, deemed larger than
needed, will lose some square footage to mechanical storage.
The handball court and small climbing
wall will be eliminated. Greenslate said they are not used
frequently enough to justify the space. In addition, district
officials do not think the court can be moved.
Existing facilities and wish-list items
all face the same questions of use, space and cost. The BMX trail
installed last year has had tremendous use for little money and will
be retained. On the other hand, covering the swimming pool is
cost-prohibitive, Greenslate said, but officials were happy to learn
that the 36-year-old pool is probably good for another 15 years.
Some facilities will be reshaped or
rearranged. The aerobics room will be extended toward the new cardio
and weight areas. The sauna will be moved next to the new family
changing area. And entry to the sports complex will move slightly
north of the present location.
Greenslate said the reception desk will
feature a card swipe system, which can immediately tell whether a
patron's membership is current. The whole membership system can then
be reconsidered. All memberships now expire on Dec. 31, but
Greenslate expects in the future to be able to offer choice of
membership length.
[Photo by Lynn Spellman]
Demolition began Monday, Feb. 17, in the sports complex entry.
Though big decisions regarding the
layout of the sports complex are made, a few smaller choices for the
interior remain. Greenslate said one decision is how many of the
courts the walking and jogging track will surround. Another is what
equipment will be purchased for the cardio area and weight room.
User surveys suggest more treadmills and some weight equipment
geared to novices. A third option is whether to provide an
entertainment feed with individual controls so all exercisers do not
have to watch the same TV show.
According to Greenslate, the building
project is part of a larger 10-year plan to meet needs of the park
district as a whole. It includes construction of two softball
diamonds south of the park district building, a concession stand and
electrical improvements. In addition, a new maintenance shop at the
far south side of the property may one day allow for a skate park
where the shop now stands.
Each year the park district tries to
install new equipment in one park. Last year this was put on hold
pending the larger building plans, but this year Lehn & Fink Park on
Pekin Street will be upgraded. Concerning other parks, Greenslate
said Postville Park on Fifth Street presents a problem because it is
city-owned but maintained by the park district. Memorial Park is
another concern. "It's so beautiful," Greenslate explained, but it
is difficult to improve because of vandalism. Even bathrooms have
been torn up, so the park district puts in portable toilets in the
summer
"Overall,"
Greenslate concluded, "we're trying to improve what we have,
answering community demands as best we can."
[Lynn
Spellman]
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