City staff said requests for qualifications for a recreation-center design-builder are due next Tuesday and that reviewers will produce a shortlist and possible interviews in October.

"Those RFQs, and those are due next Tuesday, the sixteenth. And then the team will review those and have an answer with a short list," said Parks staff. Firms responding will present proposals and qualifications; staff said they typically bring three teams in for interviews before selecting a design-builder.

Staff described preliminary concept drawings informed by earlier community engagement and consultant work with Schmidt Architects and Brandstetter Carroll. The concept includes two full gymnasiums, two group-exercise rooms, a walking and running track above the gym, a health-and-wellness area with cardio and small weight equipment, multipurpose rooms for after-school programming and office space. Staff said the community engagement report ranked walking/running track as the top priority and that the current design could deliver eight of the top 10 requested features.

On water amenities, staff said the concept shows "a water feature" on site but the specific type will be determined by the chosen design-builder. "What that is going to be yet, we won't know until we get the design build back," staff said.

Staff also clarified pool access: current employees, retired employees and students of Sandusky City Schools will be able to use the city pool free of charge; staff said the city continues partnership programming with the schools and Erie County Health Department for lessons and aquatic programming.

No formal decisions were made at the meeting; next steps are RFQ review, shortlisting, interviews and selection of a design-builder.