Council reviews community-center cost estimates; debate opens on keeping or selling Enders building

A city staff member who presented council materials said a community center in Soda Springs would likely cost about $250 per square foot (plus or minus roughly 30 percent), with an average project footprint of about 17,400 square feet and a midpoint construction cost near $4.7 million.

The presenter told the council the range of likely costs, including contingency, would run about $3.25 million on the low side to about $9.75 million on the high side, depending on size and amenities. He said a typical facility on the city wish list would include basketball and pickleball courts, meeting and event rooms, offices, storage and possibly an indoor track; coupling shared civic uses such as a fire station was also discussed.

Council members and staff discussed potential sites: city-owned Kelly Park West; a parcel adjacent to Hooper School (approximately six acres that the school district is reviewing); and redevelopment of an older commercial block including the former Maverik site. Council members emphasized funding questions and trade-offs, including potential sale of city-owned assets to raise capital.

The Enders building — a city-owned historic property discussed separately the same night — entered the conversation as one possible asset to sell or to reuse. The presenter said two appraisals produced an average market value of roughly $1.0–$1.1 million and estimated that replacement of the building would cost on the order of $9 million. He described carrying costs while the building remains unoccupied at roughly $25,000 per year and said that donated museum artifacts within the building were conveyed to the city when the keys transferred; the presenter said the Vonn family told staff that "everything came with the building."

Council members asked practical questions about next steps. Staff noted that if the city chose to sell the Enders building, state rules cited in the meeting as "Title 50, Chapter 14" set out required public-notice and auction procedures and that completing those steps — including updated appraisals and setting an auction minimum — could take about four months from initiation. If the city keeps the building, staff outlined multiple options: collocate city functions there, lease parts of it, or hold it as an asset while deciding on uses.

Council members scheduled a work session to explore the Enders question and community-center planning further. The council agreed to hold a dedicated work meeting to gather additional backup documentation and stakeholder input; meeting dates were discussed and a work session date was planned for the week between council meetings (staff and council later agreed on a specific day during follow-up scheduling).

The presenter framed the materials as informational rather than a formal request for action that night; council members concurred and directed staff to prepare more detailed funding and program options for the follow-up work session.