To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Jeff Brauer, Director of Parks and Recreation
Title
Discussion/Direction: Sports Development Center
Body
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Executive Summary
Since March 27, 1986 and the signing of Resolution 86-13, the Town of Castle Rock has thoughtfully planned, implemented and maintained public recreation facilities supporting active lifestyles, health and wellness, youth development and multi-generational social interaction. The continued support through voter approval has lasted throughout this time. The overwhelming success of the Castle Rock Community Recreation Center and the Miller Activity Complex can be described as innovative and far reaching, continuing to have a positive impact on the quality of life in Castle Rock.
The Castle Rock community supports Town-operated indoor recreation and has for over 30 years with the first project, the Castle Rock Community Recreation Center, which was initially developed in 1988 (population 9,000) through a voter-supported bond initiative. Impact fees were later adopted to provide new community recreation facilities to ensure growth helped pay for growth, funding expansion of the Castle Rock Community Center in 2006 and establishing the Miller Activity Complex in 2014. Town Council reaffirmed growth-funded community recreation and parks through the adoption of an increased impact fee rate in 2020.
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Strategic Plan and the Indoor Recreation Feasibility Study support the development of a new indoor recreation facility. Town Council approved an impact fee structure that provides funding for new recreation facilities and parks that does not take away from Police, Fire, Public Works or for other essential Town Services and ensures the Town is able to maintain high quality services as the community grows.
The next proposed recreation facility is a Sports Development Center that would complement the youth based Miller Activity Complex and traditional recreation options available at the Castle Rock Community Recreation Center, providing new opportunities for league play, developmental programming and drop-in use. The Town has not constructed a new gymnasium or competitive pool since 1988. By the time a new facility is developed, the Town will have approximately 90,000 residents. The first phase of the proposed Sports Development Center would support demand with up to five indoor courts to accommodate basketball, volleyball and pickleball, as well as additional uses such as wrestling, other court sports and fitness. Tournament uses could also provide and economic driver showcasing Castle Rock’s commitment to active lifestyles and competition. The proposed facility includes a 25 x 25-meter competition pool allowing for (10) 25-yard lanes and a 3-4 lane warm-up pool with spectator seating elevated above the pool deck. An indoor adventure track, fitness and sports training areas, group fitness, meeting areas, team rooms and locker rooms are also included with space for future expansion.
The final phases of the Community Recreation Center and the MAC were developed through the use of Certificates of Participation (COP’s) paid through impact fees. The Town will pay off MAC COP’s in 2023, 10 years earlier than planned, freeing up resources to combine new COP’s and impact fee fund balance to provide the estimated $63-$67 million needed to begin construction of the proposed Sports Development Center by 2024. 330 new residential units constructed annually would cover COP payments of $2.6 million, leaving about $3 million each year for park development based on a conservative estimated growth rate of 700 residential units per year. Along with the proposed Sports Development Center, the proposed 5-year Parks and Recreation capital budget includes the completion of Cobblestone Ranch Park, Plum Creek North Park and a new park in Terrain, as well as the completion of the Metzler Family Open Space, development of the Cobblestone Macanta Open Space and completion of the Front Range Trail through Castle Rock. An additional $3.5 million renovation is planned for Mitchell Gulch Park using the Conservation Trust Fund monies.
The Indoor Recreation Feasibility Study confirms the Town’s financial ability to develop and operate the first phase a new recreation facility; however, the study also confirms that the Town has limited site options. All undeveloped park properties that could accommodate a future recreation facility are located within residential areas. Castle Rock residents often object to traffic generating facilities so close to home. The proposed project budget does not include land acquisition, so Parks and Recreation issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) to seek potential partners to contribute land or other value to the project. Confluence Companies, the developer of the Riverwalk and Encore projects in Downtown Castle Rock, answered the RFP and provided a proposal to provide the land, financing and construction services to advance the project. Confluence proposes to build the Sports Development Center at the former Acme Brick facility (the Brickyard) on Prairie Hawk Drive as part of an overall mixed-use development that would clean up a blighted industrial property and energize the proposed development.
The Brickyard property is located adjacent to I-25 and the future Prairie Hawk Extension, placing it between two I-25 interchanges and located along the Town’s ring road. The property is centrally located within Castle Rock and equidistant and along a frequently traveled route for many Town residents.
An open house to introduce the proposal to Town residents and share conceptual facility plans is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, June 14 at the Millhouse at Philip S. Miller Park. Staff will present the outcome of the open house and seek direction at the July 5, 2022 Town Council meeting.