City manager gives detailed update on Livingston Wellness Center; donor relinquishes naming rights, fundraising nearly complete

City Manager Mister Gager gave the Livingston City Commission a status update on the Livingston Wellness Center project at Katy Bunnell Park on Sept. 25, laying out the site plan, program, schedule and funding. He said the project’s construction, site work and engineering budget is about $23.6 million and that the lead private donor and foundation had raised roughly $22.7 million as of the morning of the meeting.

Gager described the building program in detail: a six‑lane lap pool suitable for high‑school competition, a secondary therapy/recreation pool with a shallow entry and indoor slide, a regulation‑sized gymnasium, multipurpose rooms for events and rentable spaces, an elevated three‑lane walking track and family and individual changing rooms. He said areas of the site will be prewired for electric vehicle charging and that the primary parking lot is on land owned by BNSF Railway, which the railroad has allowed the project to use during construction and is expected to transfer to the city in the future.

Why it matters: the center will expand Katy Bunnell Park from roughly 1.7–1.8 acres toward nearly five acres if transfers with BNSF and Northwestern Energy proceed. Gager emphasized environmental due diligence at the site, noting a January report and phase‑2 sampling showed volatile organic compound and metal concentrations below the project’s site‑specific health and safety and cleanup thresholds.

Funding and schedule: Gager said the foundation’s capital campaign and the private funding structure are intended to pay for construction while a district created by voters in March 2024 will support operations. He told the commission his office expects substantial completion from contractor Swank in January 2027 and building readiness for occupancy in February 2027. On operating costs, he described an initial annual operating budget projection of about $1.68 million, with roughly $1.18 million for salaries and benefits and the remainder for nonpersonnel costs; staff estimated nonpersonnel costs near $500,000 a year.

Naming process and access: Gager said the lead donor who gave a large gift previously reserved naming rights but has relinquished that right and asked the city to choose the facility name; the donor requested that the chosen name include the word “wellness,” reflect regional benefits and avoid using an individual’s name. The city plans to open a public portal for name recommendations and to let the donor review finalists before a final selection. He also said Livingston residents will have free access while nonresidents will pay, and the foundation will maintain an endowment intended to support scholarships and operations.

Public input and staffing concerns: Commissioners and public commenters pressed staff on staffing levels, pay and retention, referencing larger neighboring markets like Bozeman; Gager said the staffing model aims to professionalize some roles to attract year‑round employees and that pay rates in the staffing plan were intended to be competitive for the area. He said pass pricing and daily‑use fees remain under study to prevent capacity problems that could displace local residents.

What’s next: staff will launch a public survey for naming suggestions and continue refining operating details, including pass pricing and programming. The commission will receive further budget and ordinance items tied to the project at upcoming meetings.

Ending: Commissioners thanked staff for the comprehensive update and supported continued public outreach; construction photos shown at the meeting indicated ongoing shell work and interior progress on pools and the gym.