Pella leaders press ahead to solicit bids for proposed recreation center amid mixed public reaction

A majority of the Pella City Council signaled Tuesday that it will ask staff to solicit construction bids next spring for a proposed indoor recreation center and related community-center renovations, while residents warned the project could strain the city’s finances and deepen divisions.

Craig Woner, speaking for the Pella Sports Park, opened public comments by urging council to “consider building an indoor facility” on park land and framing the proposal around four pillars: youth play, safety and accessibility, community involvement and economic vitality. Multiple speakers — including Bill Muller and Rob Bradley, fundraising organizers, and Greg Eving, superintendent of Pella Schools — described fundraising progress and the community benefits of tournament-driven sports tourism.

Staff and the mayor presented a detailed financing update that combined a proposed $17 million local-option bond, $5.5 million in city cash (from electric utility reserves), roughly $6.7 million in infrastructure bonds, and nearly $20 million in private pledges and grants. Administration stated the total program cost for the long-term facilities plan is about $49.7 million across the recreation center, an updated community center and associated infrastructure. For the recreation center alone, staff described a range of build alternatives: a base plan (about $32.7M–$35.7M), a mid plan (~$37.6M–$41M) and a full plan (up to ~$44–$45M).

Council highlighted steps designed to lower the city’s direct financial risk: private pledges would be financed by a nonprofit partner and contractual partnership agreements would make the nonprofit responsible for pledge collection and the risk of lost private funding. Mayor Ward noted several large corporate pledges reported by staff and said one funder will underwrite the roughly $140,000 cost to prepare bid packages so the city would not face that upfront expense if it decides to proceed to bids.

Operational-cost projections by consultant Ballard King estimate a mid‑plan five‑year average net operating subsidy of about $213,000 annually; staff said closure savings from the existing indoor pool (estimated at $185,000) could offset part of that figure. Ballard King’s initial forecast put first‑year net subsidy (after accounting for closure savings) near $322,000, declining over five years in the study’s scenarios.

Several public commenters asked the council to slow down. One resident said the community felt divided and urged the council to prioritize critical needs such as lead‑service replacements, streets and other infrastructure. Another asked for a binding public vote; staff and council responded that seeking bids is not an obligation to build but will produce hard costs to inform final decisions.

Council members said they are scheduled to consider a formal motion on Dec. 17 to authorize going to bid. If bids proceed on the timeline described by staff, construction contracts could be considered in spring 2025 with a two‑year construction period that would open the facility in 2027 under the current schedule assumptions.

The next procedural step is a council vote on whether to approve bid documents and send the project to market; council members said they would continue to press donors for firm financing plans and to finalize partnership agreements before awarding any construction contracts.