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With all the gymnasiums in the area near the Community Center, do we need another gym?

That is a question for the community and the City Council. Takoma Park has never had a City-owned gym in this location and has still provided many successful programs for the community over the years. However, gyms provide space for active recreation out of the heat, cold and rain. Gyms in the area are used to capacity, especially in the afterschool hours. The Takoma Park Recreation Department has limited access to gyms in this area for use by its afterschool program, and gyms are not available during school hours. The Recreation Department rents school gyms around Takoma Park for various evening and weekend classes and events. Schools have first priority in using their facilities and may bump others' scheduled use of the space. Governmental agencies have second priority as space is available.

Why can't we use the gym at the Takoma Park Recreation Center on New Hampshire Avenue?

Takoma Park manages a small recreation center on New Hampshire Avenue, owned by Park and Planning. The City provides programs for residents who live nearby, uses the gym for smaller-sized special events and camps, and rents the gym out for jazzercise and similar programs. However, the facility is far from the schools that serve most of Takoma Park's children and parking is limited.

The Takoma Park Recreation Department would use a gym for a number of programs that it sponsors or partners with other organizations to provide. During school hours, there would be senior and adult programs (such as volleyball, basketball, ping pong, aerobics, and yoga) as well as tot programs and therapeutic physical fitness. During after-school hours, the gym would be used for youth programs (afterschool recreation, drop-in basketball). During evening hours, the gym could be used for youth recreational sports (including soccer, basketball, floor hockey, and gymnastics) or a teen night. During later evening hours, adult basketball or aerobics might be scheduled. During weekends, there could be team sports practice and games, softball/baseball practice and aerobics. During the summer, the gym would be used for summer camps. The gym would also provide a large indoor setting for community events, craft fairs and festivals. The gym may be rented out at times; decisions would need to be made about rental policies.

Costs for three of the gym options (with underground parking, lockers, restrooms, and a small fitness area) are estimated to be between $5.4 and $8.1 million, if construction could begin in 18 months. Some of the possible configurations examined would also move the police holding cells, located near the Community Center's Grant Avenue entrance. In order to reduce costs, three additional gym options were developed. The new gym options eliminate the underground parking, restrooms and fitness area. They also reduce the need for retention walls and the need to move the holding cells. Several different construction methods are also being considered, because using different construction technology might lower the price. Cost estimates for these new options are being calculated now.

It is important to realize that even the $8.1 million gym is a fairly basic building. There may be features desired by the community that would add to the cost, such as a more attractive façade, a “green” roof, or additional facilities.

A major factor affecting the cost of the gym is the sharp rise in the cost of construction materials. 13% of the estimated cost of construction is due to inflation over the 18 month period between now and the time construction could begin. No slowdown in cost escalation is expected in the near future.

Others costs come from moving utility lines, providing parking, attaching an addition to an occupied building, and including space for additional uses.

The City has just over $1.5 million in hand or promised towards the cost of the gym. $750,000 (over a five year period) was promised by Washington Adventist Hospital, given its interest in promoting a healthy community. The remaining amount comes from the State and requires varying levels of matching grants. If the City decides not to construct a gymnasium, most of the $1.5 million would not be available to the City of Takoma Park. The City is continuing to pursue additional grant funding to reduce the amount the City would need to contribute to the project if a decision is made to go forward with the gym.

We're not sure. We will need to know what gym option is preferred and the cost of that option. We will need to see the results of our fundraising efforts. And then we will need to determine the amount of funding required of the City, likely obtained in part through borrowing. Every million dollars the City borrows is equivalent to approximately 6/10 of a cent on the tax rate, or about $25/year in additional taxes on a house worth $400,000.

ANCL Architects have prepared six building configurations for a gym addition to the Community Center. Information on the six options is presented in the table below. Three of the options were presented in ANCL's November 1 feasibility study. Three others are the ones for which cost estimates are currently being calculated. These three new configurations also use several alternative building technologies to see if lower costs might result.

Three of the options would be attached to the Grant Avenue side of the building and three would be attached to the rear of the building. Although ANCL Architects believes that the many underground utility lines located along Grant Avenue could be relocated to accommodate a gym, a final decision rests with the utility companies.

Option	Location	Court Size Rows of Bleachers	Additional Spaces	Notes	Estimated Cost
1	Grant Avenue	50' x 84' 4 rows, one side of court	Toilets Lockers Small fitness room Office Storage Hallway waiting area for next class or team	-Hallway has skylights allowing light to enter existing windows	$7.7 million
2	Rear of building	50' x 84' 4 rows, one side of court	Toilets Lockers Regular-sized fitness room Office Storage Hallway waiting area for next class or team	-Hallway also is new main rear entrance to building; many windows blocked	$8.1 million
3	Grant Avenue	40' x 74' (approximately the size of the Piney Branch gym) 3 rows on one side	Toilets Lockers Storage	-Windows blocked -Shorter length means difficult to split into halves for two programs at once -Blocks entrance to holding cells but does not move them	$5.5 million if built over utilities (NOT recommended); $5.7 million if utilities moved; $6 million if utilities and holding cells moved
4	Grant Avenue	50' x 84' No bleachers, but 3 rows on one side could be added at additional cost	Lockers Storage	-Blocks windows -Waiting area would be at Grant Ave entrance	Not yet available
5	Rear of building	50' x 84' No bleachers, but 3 rows on one side could be added at additional cost	Lockers Storage	-Slight angle of gym could be attractive feature -Waiting area would be in rear entrance hallway	Not yet available
6	Rear of building	50' x 84' No bleachers, but 3 rows on one side could be added at additional cost	Lockers Storage	-Rear entrance to building would be blocked -Windows would be blocked	Not yet available

The City of Takoma Park will hold two identical public workshops on Saturday, February 10 and Sunday, February 11. The workshops will begin promptly at 2:30 pm and end at 4:30 pm. More detailed information on the options and the background of the project will be presented and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. We want to know your opinions on the gym's cost, value, use, design options, etc. We will have feedback reporting forms and other ways to learn your thoughts. The sessions will be professionally facilitated to help ensure that the workshops run smoothly.

The Saturday, February 10 workshop will be held from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm at Grace United Methodist Church, 7001 New Hampshire Avenue, in the Fellowship Hall.

The Sunday, February 11 workshop will be held from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue.

The Sunday workshop will also have a group facilitated in Spanish. Both locations are handicapped accessible. (Please let us know in advance if you need special accommodations.)

The workshops are free. If you think you might be attending one of the sessions, it would be very helpful to us if you pre-register so that we can get an estimate of the number of people that will be attending. (We want to have enough materials, chairs, etc. for everyone!) Call 301-891-7100 or e-mail gym@takomagov.org and let us know. Whether or not you let us know you're coming, please attend—we really want you to participate!

If your children or teens are interested in participating in a workshop, they are STRONGLY encouraged to attend! They are key users and we want to hear from them! But, if your children would be unhappy attending a two-hour meeting, you may wish to make other arrangements for them. There will not be childcare facilities available during the workshops.

What if I want to learn more before the workshops, or I can't come to a workshop?

Information is available on the City's web page: www.takomaparkmd.gov/gym . Here you'll find detailed information on the options and costs. If you have access to a high-speed connection, you can also watch videos of presentations to the Council on the gym feasibility study. If you do not have access to the internet or have other questions, please call Suzanne Ludlow in the office of the City Manager at 301-891-7229, and we'll try to get you the information you desire.

We want to hear from you! Please write us a letter, send us an e-mail, give us a call! Let us know if you feel we need a new gym, and if it's worth the cost. If you think we need a gym, let us know what options you like and don't like and why. Knowing that all features have a cost, let us know which things are essential and which things would be nice if they could be included. Let us know how essential having a building that meets high environmental standards is to you, even if costs increase. And let us know if you have other ideas we haven't addressed. Here's how to contact us:

City of Takoma Park
Attn: Suzanne Ludlow
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

The City Council makes final decisions on the City's budget and services. They will discuss the results of the workshops on the evening of February 12 and decide on next steps. The City has requested funds from the State Legislature and County Council towards the cost of the gym. Some of the hearings before the State Legislature and County Council will be taking place in mid- or late February, so if there is a general consensus of direction from the workshops and the City Council discussion, staff can share those sentiments with the elected officials as they consider the grant requests. Nevertheless, a final decision by the City Council as to whether or not to proceed with a gym will require formal action taken at a later City Council meeting, following a public hearing. Such action could take place as early as February 26, but would likely be later. The public will be notified of the dates of any Council action on the gym and of the public's opportunities to comment on the action.