Architects recommend replacing Quail Run clubhouse, estimate roughly $2 million for new building

Erickson Sullivan Architects recommended that Columbus City replace the Quail Run Golf Course clubhouse rather than try to expand the existing building, saying the current facility is undersized for tournaments, has HVAC and energy‑code deficiencies and contains restrooms that are not ADA compliant. The firm presented preliminary schematics and a program that would double key indoor spaces and add an event/rental room, storage and a warming kitchen.

The architects told the committee the existing pro shop and controller spaces are small (about 700 square feet) and the café about 1,200 square feet; the proposed program increases those spaces and reorients the building to improve sightlines to tees and greens. The schematic includes an outdoor patio, flexible partitions to divide the event space for multiple rentals and a centralized concession/bar area that could serve golfers between the front and back nine.

At the presentation the firm said a full commercial kitchen (with a grill and fryer) would require additional equipment such as a cooking hood and materially increase costs; the current proposal shows a larger warming kitchen to expand menu options without building a full restaurant. The architects described the approach as municipal in scope — “still a municipal golf course and not a country club,” they said — and flagged staffing and contract changes as factors the city would need to address if food service expanded.

The team reported public outreach including an on‑site presentation and an online survey with 31 participants (83% of respondents identified as golfers) and about 20 comment cards collected at the meeting. Architects said survey data show a “sharp uptick” in the number of people who would spend extra time in a renovated clubhouse, which could increase course revenue. They recommended durable, simple construction and noted two sloped outer portions could be preengineered metal to reduce cost.

Preliminary cost estimates presented to the committee placed the project in the roughly $2,000,000 range; the presenters described this as approximately $3.75 per square foot in their calculations and said area construction costs influenced the estimate. They estimated a construction period of about a year (with a goal of nine months if conditions allow) and discussed strategies for maintaining operations during construction, including portable buildings or operating from the cart barn.

Councilors asked practical questions about parking and site placement; the architects said they aimed to avoid expanding into the existing parking lot and emphasized site constraints (greens to the south, power lines to the north). They also said movable partitions and covered outdoor seating would be used to manage event rentals and comfort during summer heat.

The presentation concluded with the architects’ recommendation that the city proceed with a replacement building that meets modern accessibility and energy standards and creates a flexible event space that could generate rental income. The committee took no formal action on the proposal during the session; architects and staff said further design work and cost refinement would follow if the city elects to advance the project.