Council approves notice of intent to publish for Holland recreation center bond

The Holland City Council voted May 20 to approve a notice of intent to publish for municipal bonds to help finance a new recreation center at Smallingbird Park.

City finance staff told the council the notice is a required first step that does not obligate the city to issue debt. "This is the first step," Lynn, a finance staff member, said, describing the notice as authorizing publication and setting parameters that allow the city to move forward if it chooses.

Lynn said the project is currently budgeted at $26,000,000 and that the city has already received a $5,000,000 donation earmarked for a single project. The plan, she said, is to use about $20,000,000 in bond proceeds with $1,000,000 from the municipal capital improvement fund (MCIF), while listing $22,000,000 in the notice to allow for market variation and closing costs. "We anticipate using a $20,000,000 bond," Lynn said, noting the higher $22,000,000 figure is a conservative cap.

Project staff described the facility as an approximately 83,000-square-foot, multiuse building with four full-size gyms that can be converted for volleyball, pickleball and other programming, a small gym for very young children, flex spaces for classes and spectator seating. Project presenter Matt Van Dyken said the design is intended to consolidate programs that currently run across about 13 facilities into a single, flexible space. "People know where their programming is gonna be," Van Dyken said, describing adaptive programming, ceramics classes and youth sports housed at the new center.

Council members asked about timing and the mechanics of reimbursing pre-issuance costs. Lynn explained that the notice date matters for reimbursement eligibility and that the city cannot legally finalize issuance for 45 days after publication; staff estimated a likely issuance window in the fall, dependent on final bids and market rates.

Council member Rowan moved to approve the notice of intent as presented; the measure passed on a roll-call vote with all members recorded in the affirmative. The vote authorizes the publication required by the bond process but does not bind the city to sell the bonds. Further steps — including final bids and a formal recommendation to issue debt — remain to be completed before any borrowing occurs.

Implementation details: staff said the city will work with bond counsel and a financial advisor on actual issuance, and that final borrowing would depend on bids and market conditions. Council also discussed timing to avoid borrowing more than needed if favorable bids come in.

The council also noted existing site uses and transition plans for on-site amenities: staff said the current playground, roughly 20 years old, will be dismantled and parts salvaged for later projects, and that skate-park elements will be moved and rebuilt at another corner of the site.

The council’s approval advances the procedural steps for the recreation center; staff said a formal recommendation to issue bonds is likely in the fall once project bids and market conditions are clearer.