Rec district to ask Congress for center funding

Hoping for a miracle, the Western Elmore County Recreation District (WECRD) will submit a funding appropriations package to Congress this week seeking one to two million dollars to help fund construction of the long-awaited community center in Mountain Home.

WECRD President Doug Belt said the request would partially fund the design and construction of the facility, projected to cost more than $10 million.

"We wouldn't expect a decision on this request until maybe next fall, it just depends on congressional action. If we get approved, we would see the revenue in 2008," Belt said.

The WECRD has submitted the appropriations request to Congress before, unsuccessfully, and Belt noted, "We heard that we were at the top of the list but didn't quite make it."

Not a common funding stream for construction of these types of facilities, Belt was aware of a similar community center/recreation center in Burley that had used congressional appropriations to help build its center.

Passed by more than 60 percent of the voters in 2000, the Western Elmore County Recreation District was established for the purpose of building a large community center where citizens could gather to recreate.

Six years later, deadlines have passed and fruition of the proposed project still seems far from realization.

"We collect a little over $200,000 in tax revenue each year and we currently have about one million dollars in assets," Belt explained, "with about half of that invested in the State Investment Fund, drawing interest... which helps pay for the WECRD overhead such as office space and one full-time and one part-time employee."

Belt said that their research shows they need between five to seven million dollars committed to the project before they can hope to be in a position to pursue those funding sources that would contribute the remainder of funds needed for the project.

Like the proposed new high school, it will cost more to build the center than originally estimated due to rising construction costs.

"We are exploring some other options for funding, like a bond, that could possibly be put to voters on the 2008 ballot," Belt said.

The design of the center, as currently proposed, enjoys support from about half of the city residents which Belt agreed was not "overwhelming" support.

The WECRD continues to seek out community groups to work with and Belt felt there would eventually be a strong collaboration with the City Parks & Recreation Department, which seems like a natural partnership.

The proposed facility features three swimming pools, two basketball courts and two racquetball courts, a multi-purpose theater room, a climbing wall, exercise and meeting rooms.

"We have discussed building the center in phases but other facilities like the YMCA highly recommend building the entire facility at one time," Belt noted, "and these are the features the voters told us they wanted."

The WECRD purchased a parcel of land near Mountain Home Junior High school a few years ago and that is where they hope to build the community center.

"It is harder to find money for bricks and mortar projects like this and it is taking longer than we expected to raise the funds needed to build the community center," Belt said.