Regional Wellness Center moving forward

The City of Jasper is moving forward with a redesigned Regional Wellness Center after pausing the project in March due to financial concerns related to legislative changes to property taxes.

Mayor Dean Vonderheide announced that the city has identified funding for a $32 to $33 million facility in the first phase of a multiphase approach to the project. He revealed plans for the first phase of the facility at Wednesday’s regular council meeting.

The new design has been scaled down from the 90,000-square-foot facility featuring an aquatics center to a 70,000-square-foot building with three full-size gymnasiums, an elevated walking and running track, community kitchen, classrooms, flexible activity studios, meeting spaces, child watch area, and locker rooms.

The aquatics portion has been moved to a future Phase 2 project, to be constructed as a separate building on the 10-acre site between the high school and The Parklands.

“We feel like we’re going to be able to deliver a project that meets the needs of our community,” Vonderheid told the council.

Jeff Justice of HAFER Associates presented the revised design, emphasizing the facility’s strategic location that connects the high school, The Parklands, and community trail system along 15th Street.

The building will feature two entrances off 15th Street: a primary entrance serving both the wellness center and The Parklands, and a secondary entrance providing direct access to parking that will also serve the high school’s needs for sporting events.

The building’s exterior design draws inspiration from the adjacent parklands, incorporating natural colors and materials. Architectural features include movable fins on studio windows that create visual motion effects while providing sun shading.

“We want this facility to feel part of the park, not something that is basically dropped down in between a high school and beautiful nature area,” Justice said.

The first floor includes three high-school-size gymnasiums that can accommodate three basketball courts, three volleyball courts, or nine pickleball courts in total. A wellness area with free weights, weight machines and cardiovascular equipment faces 15th Street through large windows.

The gymnasium design includes mesh curtains separating the two courts, with a third court potentially separated by a permanent wall to improve sound isolation. Bleacher placement remains under consideration, with current plans showing viewing areas from the upper-level track.

The second floor features a three-lane elevated track that encircles the gymnasiums, requiring approximately eight laps to cover a mile. Multiple exercise studios and an undefined 6,500-square-foot shell space provide flexibility for future programming expansion.

“We wanted to get to approximately 60,000 square feet for the project. However, working with our construction team, we identified that if we left out what is labeled the undefined shell space, we were missing an opportunity,” Justice explained.

Funding comes from multiple sources, including the Food and Beverage Tax collections, a $5 million Ready 2.0 grant, Economic Development Income Tax funds, Tax Increment Finance funds, the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP) grant money and the Better Together donation campaign.

The city will issue bonds totaling about $19 million. It will be a property tax-backed bond to secure a lower interest rate. However, Vonderheide emphasized that no additional property tax impact is anticipated, given current funding commitments and donation pledges.

The project timeline targets spring bonding and construction start, with completion expected by the end of 2027.

An opening in November would align with peak membership enrollment periods, according to Tri-County YMCA Director Mike Steffe.

Steffe told the council that input from the community and donors regarding the scaled-back project has been positive.

Steffe stated they had conservative estimates of 1,350 YMCA membership units based on operational assumptions of 10 percent market penetration. He based those membership rates on those of existing facilities in the region.

The city and YMCA plan to resume active fundraising efforts to close remaining funding gaps and establish reserve accounts for building maintenance and operations. Officials project the facility will achieve break-even operations after an initial ramp-up period.

After the discussion, the council approved a property exchange resolution with Greater Jasper Consolidated School Corporation involving six-tenths of an acre on the west side of the city’s property. This collaboration allows shared use of access roads and parking areas between the wellness center and school facilities.

The corporation will consider the exchange at next week’s regular Board of Trustees meeting.

“I really appreciate the fact that the school corporation has been a willing collaborator to make these projects work. And it’s a win-win for both of us,” Vonderheide said. “That’s what this project’s been about. It’s about everybody pulling together to make it happen.”