Emporia Recreation Commission Director Tom McEvoy says the Lee Beran Recreation Center needs to be expanded and reconfigured.
McEvoy ticked off numerous needs during Monday’s monthly board meeting, including:
*Additional gymnasium space
*Additional classroom space
*Additional social hall space
*A new indoor pool arrangement featuring a new therapeutic pool, separate lap swim pool and what McEvoy calls a “fun place” for families
As demand for space increases, McEvoy tells KVOE News an expanded facility is on the minds of a lot of people these days.
The Rec Center’s current size is around 48,000 square feet. McEvoy says an expansion and reconfiguration could mean a roughy 100,000 square-foot facility. Community groups have expressed a desire for a “multigenerational facility,” and the general thought is the current location at 313 West Fourth is the best for the facility.
This is not a new talking point, but the Rec Commission board is poised to resume conversations after discussions were shelved two years ago, several months after the coronavirus pandemic came to the area and after the Rec Commission board had talks with an architect and construction management firm about possible layouts. Potential costs for an expansion and reconfiguration are pending, as well as funding mechanisms. Projected costs over the past 4-5 years were anywhere from $19 million to $25 million.
