Megan Lohmann, recreation manager for the department, and Perkins & Will consultant Alex Webster summarized the recreation‑centers needs assessment and how it will inform the planned East Boulder Community Center project and systemwide funding priorities.

The assessment collected thousands of touches of public input across multiple engagement windows and stakeholder events and found that fitness (cardio and strength areas) and aquatics were the top community priorities. The study recommends core amenities (fitness spaces, gymnasium space, aquatics access, and accessible restrooms) be maintained at multiple sites and identifies additional amenities that could be sited at one or two locations systemwide. The report also noted that Norris receives the largest share of visits at present and that North Boulder and South Boulder centers have distinct community roles.

Staff emphasized that the assessment is intended as an input to the long‑term financial strategy and the Fund Our Future ballot deliberations rather than a fixed project list. PRAB members asked detailed questions about the East Boulder project specifically: staff confirmed there is $53 million in CCRS funding currently allocated for East Boulder, explained that CCRS ballot language and council appropriation create constraints on straightforward reallocation, and said any move to repurpose CCRS funds would require council action and possibly additional voter direction depending on how the ballot language was written.

The board also debated the tradeoffs between renovating the existing East pool shell in place versus rebuilding an envelope that would allow a different pool configuration and improved energy performance. Staff said a pool rebuild or large alteration would likely trigger compliance with contemporary building and energy codes and that the total cost of extensive envelope and mechanical upgrades could consume a substantial portion of the CCRS allocation; final cost estimates and tradeoffs will be part of the East Boulder design phase.

What’s next: the needs assessment will feed into the Fund Our Future/long‑term financial strategy work stream and into a schematic design process for East Boulder in 2026. Staff said they will return to PRAB with more detailed cost and feasibility information about East and with refined project scopes once funding pathways are clarified.

Provenance: the rec‑centers needs assessment presentation began at 02:05:09 and the long Q&A and CCRS funding discussion occurred 02:23:48–02:48:00.

Ending: PRAB and staff agreed the assessment provides a foundation for prioritizing systemwide improvements; board members asked staff to provide more detail on cost splits (energy/code upgrades versus targeted renovations) and on how CCRS and Fund Our Future choices will affect South Boulder’s timeline and options.