Danville, Ephraim McDowell Health form working group to study indoor recreation center

The Danville City Commission on Oct. 13 approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ephraim McDowell Health to create a joint working group to study a proposed indoor recreation center.

City Manager Coffey told the commission the MOU establishes a working group with three representatives from each party to develop a proposal describing potential management, operations and funding for a jointly held or operated indoor recreation center. The draft MOU sets a maximum budget of $30,000 per entity to pay for construction-cost estimates or expert work if needed, and it contains a 180-day timeline for the group to develop a proposal to present to each party’s decision-making body.

Coffey said the plan responds to prior master-plan ideas that identified space tied to the hospital property and also to options that would leverage Millennium Park land. “The idea is that the original master plan of the wellness center had in it that a gym space on the backside. There’s land there available,” Coffey said. He described the MOU as a preliminary step to develop a final proposal for city and hospital boards to consider.

Coffey and other staff told commissioners the hospital had already approved the MOU on its side and that any final project would return to the commission and the hospital board for separate decisions. Commissioners discussed membership on the working group and asked that city staff and one or more commissioners participate in the meetings; staff said they would include appropriate city staff and seek commissioner volunteers.

The commission approved the resolution establishing the MOU. No construction contract or funding commitment was approved at this meeting; the MOU funds are intended for scoping and study only.