McNair Park Considered as Location for Community Center

St. Charles is considering a new plan for a 69,550 square foot community center that would be built in McNair Park.

The St. Charles City Council contracted with Ballard King and Associates to do a market analysis on feasibility of putting a community center in . 

On Tuesday, the council plans to discuss the report during the work session and determine whether the city will move forward with the project. The project would be funded through selling $30 million in voter approved bonds.

This would be the first council work session that will not be televised or be available to watch online. .

The new facility in McNair Park would be smaller in scope than that envisioned for the Show-Me Community Center, a partnership between the city and ShowMe Aquatics and Fitness. The new facility would serve a smaller service area. 

The report recommends that the recreation center offer leisure aquatic pool with slides and a vortex pool, a competitive pool for fitness, a hot tub and therapy or teaching pool.

Other recommended features include: a divisible gymnasium, a weight/cardiovascular area, indoor walking and jogging track, multi-purpose room that could be rented, birthday party rooms, aerobic/dance room, an indoor playground, babysitting area, high tech, interactive game room with computer based equipment for entertainment.

According to the report, "Multi-use, flexibility of space and versatility of operation are important and the facility should not be seen as just a sports center."

The report includes a revenue and expenditure projection model that anticipates $1.5 million in annual expenditures and $1.225 million in annual revenue.

A proposed fee schedule would charge St. Charles residents $300/year, $25/month or $5/day. Nonresident adults would pay $350/year, $29.16/month or $6 a day. Families from St. Charles could pay $540/year or $45/month.

The actual fee structure would have to be approved by St. Charles Parks Department if the City Council decides to move forward with a plan.

Council President Mike Klinghammer, Ward-8, told St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the location has not been set.

In 2008, the city had partnered with , an organization that provides water-based and land-based therapy for individuals with disabilities, to build a community center off of Veterans Memorial Parkway at the former Kmart location. That agreement was dissolved in 2010 after ShowMe was unable to come up with promised funds.