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Meridian moves ahead with community center, park expansion and fire safety center plans; council seeks confirmation on operations and timing
Summary
City staff presented a Meridian Community Center project, Settlers Park expansion and a fire safety center that staff say are tied together and primarily funded with impact fees; council discussed timing, operational staffing plans and a shared parking arrangement with Meridian Youth Baseball.
City staff presented design and budget updates for a proposed Meridian Community Center, an adjacent Settlers Park expansion and a Meridi an Fire Safety Center during the FY26 budget workshop; staff characterized the three items as a single, interrelated project but they are budgeted in separate divisions.
Project scope and funding: the community center design submitted to council shows about 22,000 square feet of programmable space (multi‑use rooms, fitness, gym, arts/crafts, summer camp space) and a parking layout adjacent to the ballfields at Settlers Park. Park impact fees collected from development are the primary funding source for the community center and park expansion, and staff said obligating those impact‑fee dollars in the current impact fee window is an important timing consideration.
Staff said the combined community center and park project is roughly $19.7 million for the community center and park expansion (staff provided a planning estimate and said costs could climb 5–10% per year if delayed). Mike (staff) explained that Meridian Youth Baseball (MYB) expressed interest in using a northeast parking area adjacent to the community center and that staff calculated a planning‑level parking cost of about $5,000 per space; based on the proposed layout MYB would pay up to roughly $500,000 as a partial reimbursement for the parking targeted to its use.
Operational plan and staffing: staff emphasized a multi‑year operational plan and said initial operations would not require new full‑time staff in FY27. Director Sidaway said the center would open in FY28 (earliest fall 2027 but more likely FY28) and that operations and maintenance staffing requests would be staged across FY28–FY32 to phase in as usage grows.
Council reaction and timing: several council members said they support proceeding with the project provided staff keep the operational staffing plan on record and return with clear sequencing that ties design decisions to an operating model. Council members also discussed signalization and traffic improvements at the Venable/Ustick intersection; staff reported that Ada County Highway District (ACHD) is willing to enter a cooperative development agreement to advance a signal if the city funds design and a local developer (Brighton) participates.
Next steps: council and staff agreed the community center, park expansion and fire safety center should be considered as a package for timing and coordination. Staff will continue design, advance bid readiness, and return with updated costs and the operational staffing schedule that will define when full‑time operating budget requests would be requested.
