Jasper Regional Wellness Center plans continue to develop

Jasper — The City of Jasper is continuing to develop plans for an indoor Regional Wellness Center in the city.

The new indoor recreation, wellness and aquatic facility will be located on 15th and Bartley Streets adjacent to the Indiana National Guard facility. The City of Jasper and Tri-County YMCA are leading the project in collaboration with stakeholders, including the Indiana National Guard and Memorial Hospital.

The proposed 91,000 sq. ft. Regional Wellness Center will include an 8,000 sq. ft. fitness center, four full-court gymnasiums, 14,000 sq. ft. indoor aquatic center, indoor elevated walking track, four group exercise studios, and five community rooms including a community kitchen.

“Our vision extends beyond the facilities and amenities themselves,” commented Mayor Dean
Vonderheide in a press release on the project. “We imagine a community hub of activity, a gathering space, a destination to meet the health, wellness and recreation needs of our community in one location. Programs and facilities will serve all ages and abilities in our region, from the very youngest to the most senior.”

The new partnership creates an avenue for the Tri-County YMCA to serve a greater number of people in its service area. “Jasper is the largest city in our service area,” explained Tri-County YMCA CEO Mike Steffe, “but it also gives us the opportunity to serve those in the northeast quadrant of Dubois County.”

The YMCA already has a presence in Jasper through various afterschool programs offered at Holy Trinity and Jasper Elementary School. Still, the new facility will allow them to serve needs outside of the schools through more youth-centered services before school and for school breaks during the school year.

Currently, the plan is for the Tri-County YMCA to operate the facility offering services in conjunction with the needs of the City of Jasper Park and Recreation Department and Memorial Hospital. The Y will manage the facility, the programs, and the services with those identified partners in much the same manner as the Ferdinand location, Steffe explained.

Access will be membership-based, but he feels the membership will be different than that at the Ferdinand location due to the additional amenities being offered. However, members of the Tri-County YMCA will have access to the Regional Wellness Center since a Y membership makes all Y facilities accessible to members.

Since the Ferdinand location is popular with residents throughout the county, Steffe is hoping it will relieve some congestion at the Clem and Mary Lange YMCA building. “We built in 2011, and we added on in 2021, and in 2023, we’re sitting here kind of cramped for space,” Steffe said. “So you know, if we can lighten the load here a little bit, I think that’s fine.”

He said that he has consistently heard questions about when they would do something in Jasper. “With Jasper’s comprehensive plan really targeting the need for indoor activities, you know, I think we’re a perfect fit,” Steffe said. “We are excited about moving forward.”

The total cost of the new indoor facility is estimated to be $37 million. City and YMCA leaders are conducting a major regional capital campaign and working to secure various grant funding opportunities to support the project.

In February, the Jasper Common Council unanimously passed Res 2023-2, seeking state authority to establish a one percent Food and Beverage Tax to lower the potential impact on property taxes. The state approved the new tax in April, and the council can now enact local legislation to begin collecting the FAB tax.

If passed by the Jasper Common Council, the Food and Beverage Tax would go into effect in January 2024. Early estimates from Baker Tilley, the city’s financial advisory firm, indicated the tax could collect about $571,000 annually to be used towards the project.

But, the city has also identified multiple other funding sources, and it continues to work with its municipal financial advisors to develop the best financial options for the project, according to a press release about the project.

To that end, the city will be in a position to provide projected financing models in the coming weeks. Whether this includes a property tax-paid bond (approved via a referendum) or a property tax-backed bond, the goal will remain to minimize any taxpayer impact.