Talks on recreation center inch forward 

Council seeks solutions to give residents what they want without raising taxes

by Judy Stringer

Hudson City Council gave City Manager Thom Sheridan the OK to obtain pricing on hiring an outside consultant to better understand what residents want in a potential recreation center and how much those amenities might cost. 

The current high-level discussions about a recreation center are driven by findings in the latest comprehensive planning process, in which a majority of Hudsonites surveyed listed outdoor and indoor community pools as their top wishes. 

“And yet, also as part of that survey,” council member Michael Bird added during a Feb. 11 work session discussion on the topic, “was that 60% of the folks responding wanted to pay either zero, or zero to less than $500” monthly as a household for those amenities.

Council member Chris Banweg, who is working with Bird on a council subcommittee to explore the feasibility of a recreation center, said they have determined the city could afford to invest about $5-$7 million “within our current financial means” in a recreation facility – a far cry from the $55 million estimate for a full-fledged center with pools, a track, basketball courts, workout rooms and similar amenities. He and other council members also expressed concerns about residents’ willingness to foot monthly fees associated with such facilities. 

“Mentor’s is over $500, Twinsburg’s is over $500, Cuyahoga Falls’ is almost $1,000,” said council President Chris Foster. “These are the benefits that cost over $500 a year for a family of four. You don’t get that if you are not willing to pay.”

Sheridan suggested a third-party market feasibility study could help drill down on the specifics of what residents want in a recreation facility and how much they are willing to pay for membership, in addition to cost estimates and options for construction. 

Throughout the discussion, council was clear that they are not interested in putting a $50-million issue on the November ballot. “But we do want to continue to dig so that we can see if there’s something worthwhile,” Banweg said. 

Sheridan hinted at potential collaborations that would help split the costs, such as a joint recreation center with the city of Stow, a partnership with the YMCA or working with the Hudson City School District. He has opened up dialogue with those organizations. 

In addition, the city manager and Banweg floated the concept of building in phases, starting with an outdoor pool, snack bar and locker rooms and adding a larger recreation building at a later date. “We don’t want necessarily the $50-million plan,” Banweg said. “If we do $10 million now, is there a phase two of the rec center so that we could grow with the changing demands of the community over time? … We’re looking to take a little bit of a different approach, but we’ve got to quantify what we have to work with up front based on the interests of the community, and then lay out those options so that we can get into the ‘What do you want most?’ ‘What do you want now?’ ‘What are you willing to pay for real?’”