Park Board hears from mayor on community center possibility

Friday, February 6, 2015

An opportunity for a need to quench a local desire was shared with the Greencastle Park Board Thursday night.

With Mayor Sue Murray on hand during the Park Board's monthly meeting at City Hall, the subject was the special redevelopment projects being considered by the city to extend the life and usefulness of its TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district.

The possibility of a community center being created in Greencastle is one of two special projects the Redevelopment Commission addressed at its recent meeting, while the other fallback position to assure the city can retain its TIF district by floating a bond issue would be an infrastructure project, possibly the upgrading of Indianapolis Road east of the stoplight at Kroger.

Regardless, the deadline is June 30 to extend the life of the TIF district, established on the city's East Side in 1992.

A new law taking effect July 1 requires all legacy TIF districts established prior to 1995 to expire June 30, 2025, unless they are repaying bonds issued before July 1, 2015. Those districts that are extended would not expire until June 30, 2040.

Mayor Murray cautioned the Park Board that although most of the TIF issue discussion has centered on a community center at Big Walnut Sports Park, it is just "a possibility" it would be on park property, not necessarily a reality.

"We've had preliminary discussions of a public-private partnership," the mayor told the Park Board, stopping short of mentioning the Wabash Valley YMCA, which was openly discussed at the Redevelopment Commission meeting.

At that meeting the mayor said she had approached the Wabash Valley YMCA, which runs the "Y" in Clay County and operates an after-school program at Ridpath School in Greencastle. The YMCA is reportedly interested in expanding its local operations.

"Nothing is definite," the mayor added. "There's nothing signed, sealed or delivered in any way."

The Redevelopment Commission, however, did give its blessing to proceed with engaging bond counsel while continuing to explore the possibilities of either a community center or infrastructure work.

Certainly few local residents have doubted the need or desire for a multi-purpose structure that could host sports like recreational basketball or indoor soccer with space for activities or classes and possibly a kitchen to give the building a multiplicity of potential uses.

However, money has always been the object. Not necessarily the money to build such a facility as much as the funding to staff it, maintain it and perpetuate its usefulness.

Thus without capturing funds through some method like a TIF district, there is virtually no way for the city to fund a community center.

"The building is not the most difficult part," the mayor reminded the Park Board, adding that maintaining such a facility and manning its day-to-day operations are the big issue.

That's where a public-private partnership comes in, as well as the need to sell local memberships to those who wish to use the facilities.

"The people who come through the doors are going to have to be able to support what goes on inside those doors," Murray told the board.

The community center is seen as a $3.5 million to $5 million project (with bonds repaid through the capture of incremental new assessed valuation within the existing TIF district), depending on amenities. An earlier version had been designed for $2.5 million but that was without locker rooms, a kitchen or much meeting space that would add significant flexibility to the facility.

"We're very early in the discussion," Mayor Murray said, adding that a feasibility study is likely necessary before any final decision is reached

"That's a heck of a lot of work by June 30," Park Board President John Hennette commented.

"We're going to move one way or another to protect that TIF district," Mayor Murray assured without promising whether the project would be a community center or improved infrastructure.

"That's what I know tonight, Feb. 5, 2015," she said, concluding her update for the Park Board.

Meanwhile, by the Redevelopment Commission's next meeting -- set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 at City Hall -- a preliminary schedule for engaging bond counsel and an accounting firm for the bonding effort is expected to be ready, whether it's ultimately the community center idea or an infrastructure project.

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