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Board approves $250,000 schematic-design contract for Thatcher Park family center; board members urge holistic review of pool
Summary
Indy Parks authorized a professional-service agreement with Synthesis Incorporated for schematic design and cost estimating at Thatcher Park Family Center, and board members questioned whether the project should include a full pool renovation.
The Board of Parks and Recreation on Sept. 23 authorized a professional-service agreement with Synthesis Incorporated for schematic design, design development and preliminary cost estimating for the Thatcher Park Family Center in an amount not to exceed $250,000.
The contract will fund design work to refine the building footprint, community-room programming, staff spaces and to produce an overall cost estimate suitable for pursuing capital-improvement funding or phased construction. Andre Denman, principal planner for Indy Parks, told the board the contract is intended to produce a phased cost that the department can use when pursuing larger funders or to evaluate how to phase work within the department’s capital-improvement program.
Board members pressed staff to consider the pool as part of a holistic study. Board member Joseph Rins asked whether the design work would assess the pool and other building systems; Mr. Denman said the scope includes programing and cost estimates and that the work is similar to schematic planning completed at Douglas Park. Jordan Elder, senior manager of aquatics for Indy Parks, described the pool as the department’s primary training center and said community regulars use it daily for lap swimming and programming. “It’s my one and sole training center ... we have people that come in and they know me by name,” Elder said, explaining that recent downtime limited lifeguard training and disrupted regular users.
Denman and Synthesis representatives said their fee will include programming and planning that can address renovation options and, if the board chooses, provide a holistic cost estimate for both building expansion and pool renovation. Several board members urged that the design work examine both building expansion needs and pool options to present a single comprehensive proposal to potential funders.
The board approved the contract by voice vote; staff will proceed with schematic design and return to the board for next steps once cost estimates and potential phasing options are developed.
The board’s authorization does not commit funding for construction; it funds design development and a refined cost estimate to inform future budget requests or outside funding applications.
