Town hears detailed floor plans, budget and operations for proposed multi‑generational recreation center

Town of Sahuarita officials reviewed phase 2 of a feasibility study for a proposed multi‑generational recreation center that would include a gym, fitness areas, a warm‑water activity pool with a slide, community multipurpose rooms and a teaching kitchen.

Consultants from BRS Design and operations specialist Jenna Catceros presented floor plans, a fit on the Man in the Maze park site and a detailed operations pro forma showing estimated annual operating expenses of about $2.9 million and four revenue/cost‑recovery scenarios ranging from roughly $1.7 million to $2.6 million depending on fee policy.

The presentation said the proposed building program totals about 54,000 square feet and includes required support spaces (locker rooms, administration, child watch), a multipurpose gym sized for two middle‑school courts and multiple pickleball courts, fitness studios, a bouldering wall and a recreation pool with play features and a slide. The consultants showed how the building could be expanded later and how indoor spaces could open to shaded outdoor patios in favorable weather.

Jenna Catceros, who led the operations and financial modeling, said the study assumed 86 hours of weekly public drop‑in access and projected about 400,000 annual visits under the current program assumptions. Staffing and wages were the largest expense (about 69% of operating costs), with a projected full operating budget escalated to FY2028 of about $2.9 million. The team modeled four fee scenarios that target 60, 70, 80 and 90 percent cost recovery; those yielded the range of projected admission revenue noted above. Catceros said the analysis was intentionally conservative on revenues and somewhat high on expenses to allow a margin for planning.

Council members and the public pressed consultants on hours, resident vs. nonresident pricing and scholarship/assistance for low‑income or at‑risk youth. Mayor Murphy and several council members said they wanted stronger benefits for local residents — for example greater price separation between resident and nonresident annual passes — and flagged weekend evening hours (the draft schedule closes at 6 p.m.) as possibly insufficient for community use. Catceros said it is easier to add hours later than to reduce them and that exact pass prices and final cost‑recovery targets would be set closer to project delivery.

Consultants noted the recommended site is roughly 15 acres at the north end of Man in the Maze park, adjacent to schools and town hall, which reduces utility and land‑acquisition cost. The firm recommended design choices — single‑level entry, visible reception area, multipurpose rooms with patio access and a warm‑water pool — to maximize community programming and accessibility. They also described phasing and expansion options so the center could grow with demand.

No formal action was taken. Staff said the study package completes phase 2; design and cost estimating would follow and the council would have multiple future opportunities to set fees, approve final design, and consider financing. Councilmembers asked staff to bring refined fee proposals and, where possible, options that prioritize resident access and assistance programs.

If council decides to pursue the project, design and capital cost estimates will be developed before the town moves to bond or other funding decisions. The study projects opening in fiscal 2028 under the current schedule but noted timing depends on financing and construction procurement.