Natatoriums, theaters and field houses, oh my! In a perfect world with unlimited funding, Phase 2 of the new Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District Community Center would house a 38,000 square foot Aquatic Center, a nearly 12,000 square foot Theater (aka Black Box), an indoor Field house, plenty of classroom space and more. Instead, District Board members are wrestling with financial uncertainty, competing interests and unanswered questions. A special meeting, held August 22, was called to tackle the unfinished business of planning for future phases of the center.
Phase 1, which is currently under construction on Donner Pass Road near the Highway 89 N roundabout, will include community rooms and classrooms, administration space, a 15,642 square foot gymnasium and a climbing wall, for a total of just over 34,000 square feet. A December 2009 opening is planned.
The District estimates it will have between $5 million to $7 million left in its coffers after the completion of Phase 1, but will need to successfully pass a Bond Measure to pay for the remaining phases. The focus of the Aug. 22 meeting however, according to TDRPD General Manager Steve Randall, was to hone in on possible facilities and to come up with a ‘blueprint for the community to react to.’ After a two-hour meeting the Directors agreed upon two scenarios and then tasked their architectural firm, NTD, to complete a pro-bono study for the Board to review at their September 11 meeting.
The options centered around whether the existing Recreation Center on Church St. in downtown Truckee can be remodeled and turned into a Black Box theater. (See sidebar.) This hinges mainly on whether or not such a facility can successfully comply with the Town of Truckee’s on-site parking requirements.
During the course of the meeting it became clear that there are still many variables, that for now, remain up in the air. Board Chair Kevin Murphy opened up discussion on the potential Bond Measure, which has always been a part of District plans, but for which no firm plans have been made. He explained that surveys have shown citizens might approve a tax of $40 to $50 dollars per parcel. ‘If we double the amount of the bond measure (to $100 per parcel) we could construct the Aquatic Center, but we will run into resistance,’ he remarked.
Board member Peter Werbel said ‘we need a broader, bigger picture and a ballpark figure with costs,’ before going any further with discussions about how to proceed with a bond measure.
Board Member Janet Brady offered that she wanted to go back and survey District residents and possibly hold additional community meetings to find out what people want because she feels there is ‘a strong contingency of people who felt their voices weren’t being heard initially.’ The majority of Board members disagreed. Referring to a survey conducted in 2005 and the results obtained from it, Marshall Lewis stated, ‘I still feel comfortable with what we did.’
Can the Current Community Center be Remodeled into a Community Theater?
Option A
If existing community center downtown cannot be turned into a black box:
1) The black box will remain at the new site and also be used for classroom/multi purpose and the District will:
2) Explore a natatorium half the size of current footprint or what can be built for $10 million
3) Commit $1 million to an ice rink at the rodeo arena
4) Have the architect create a footprint for a field house to be considered in the future
Option B
If existing community center downtown can be turned into a black box, the District will:
1) Commit $5 million to build a black box on the back of the existing community center and reserve the black box space at the new center for future classrooms
2) Same as 2 above
3) Examine a field house combined with smaller aquatics center
4) Same as 3 above
