Eagan Community Center reports double‑digit growth in memberships, rentals and programming revenue

The Eagan Community Center reported significant revenue and participation gains in 2024 and early 2025, city staff told the EGOT Advisory Parks and Rec Commission on April 21.

Lindsay Ragu, Eagan Community Center operations supervisor, said the center's 2024 operating revenues grew by roughly $331,000 — about a 20% increase from 2023 — and that the center exceeded several budget targets: "Our 2024 fitness membership and daily admission revenues exceeded the planned budget by over $77,000," Ragu said. Room and facility rental revenue exceeded budget by nearly $40,000 and was about $112,000 higher than in 2023. Recreation programming revenue reached about $127,000, or roughly 185% of the respective budget, staff said.

The revenue gains came alongside enrollment and participation increases across multiple program areas. Tanya Pearson, fitness coordinator, said active membership approached 3,400 and that the center recorded a membership increase from 3,891 in 2023 to 4,371 in 2024 (about 12.3%). Pearson added that January–March 2025 membership was already 4,486 — a further increase she described as a 15.3% gain from the comparable 2024 period. "My goal...is to make the combination of month‑to‑month membership and prepaid memberships hit 1,000 by the end of this year," Pearson said.

Erica Koehler, program coordinator, told commissioners that youth summer camp enrollment has grown sharply: Camp ECC saw about 232% growth over five years and runs full‑time programs for working families. Koehler said the program follows the district 196 calendar for non‑school days and that some offerings have waiting lists.

Seth Flowlitt, facilities coordinator, and Michael Meffert, guest services specialist, described rising rental and event business. Flowlitt said total rentals rose to 585 from 492 the prior year and noted a 20% increase in rental revenue. Weddings also increased (48 more bookings than the prior year), and several large recurring weekend events now bring multi‑thousand dollar weekends in rental revenue. Meffert said birthday parties rose from 420 in 2023 to 551 in 2024; specialty parties (114 in 2024) and added amenities such as an ice cream add‑on have contributed to the party revenue growth.

Staff stressed that the ECC operates as an enterprise fund, meaning the building is not supported by tax dollars. Parks staff said they are approaching full cost recovery but still rely on other revenue streams (including cell‑site lease income) to cover remaining expenditures. Department staff said 2024 revenue was about 21% above the center's 2019 (pre‑COVID) level.

Construction and facility layout changes were discussed. Ragu and other staff described a multi‑phase reinvestment project at the ECC: phase 1 relocated the fitness center upstairs and added some storage and restroom work downstairs; phase 2 — scheduled to begin in early June — will remove the main staircase, add a new elevator and bring construction into the lobby. Staff said they are running the facility during construction with temporary walls and measures to protect customers from dust and noise.

Staff described programmatic expansions planned for 2025: more personal trainers, expanded specialty classes (puppy yoga and other niche offerings), a 50‑plus health and wellness suite that added new classes and enrolled more than 1,238 participants in 2024, and new gym programs including women‑only pickleball training and special youth offerings. For the Blast indoor playground, staff said they will run a $5 summer entry promotion and a "Family Gym Jam" to encourage summer visitation. Staff projected Blast revenue would reach about $75,000 by year end, with $22,000 already earned in early 2025.

Commissioners asked about expenditures versus revenue; staff said the ECC is improving toward full cost recovery but does not yet cover all expenditures. On programming logistics, staff said summer camp registration is first‑come, first‑served during spring registration and that the center actively manages wait lists while aiming to preserve program size and staff:camper ratios.

Commissioners and staff praised the ECC team and part‑time employees for operational flexibility during the recovery and the current growth period. The presentation closed with a reminder that further reinvestment and project updates will be provided at the next meeting.