Now that Champions Landing is the designated site for a new public recreation facility in Emporia, several processes are getting started.
From the Champions Landing standpoint, a big key is a simple one. Owner Jeremy Rusco says the big focus is the layout.
Rusco also says the presence of a nearly 100,000 square-foot building will cause some adjustments, regardless of the layout.
Meanwhile, the Emporia Recreation Commission’s Rec Center Steering Committee will now begin a public campaign to drum up support for the new facility, while external partners BG Consultants, Kahler Slater and Hutton Corporation will begin designing the new space with the goal of having architect renderings ready for public viewing before Christmas. These efforts lead to a special election on a sales tax funding mechanism March 4, and the Emporia City Commission could have a Public Building Commission issuing bonds for the project in place by the end of this year.
For years, the Rec Commission has been mentioning plans to move out of the Lee Beran Recreation Center, saying the building was too small and, more recently, too inefficient to meet community needs. With the location set Wednesday for a new center, conversations have also touched on what to do with the Lee Beran building — and there are some ideas for a youth-centered facility, including the possible removal of the indoor pool or making the facility more multi-purpose in nature, whether for sports or tech-related activities. Exactly how much money should to be dedicated for Lee Beran improvements as part of this effort is yet to be determined.
