BILLINGS – It’s a project years in the making, and now that pandemic related delays are behind us, the Billings Parks and Recreation department is turning its focus back to its Multi-Generational Community Recreation Center project.
As the project enters its design-concept phase, a public forum is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at the Billings Public Library’s community room from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“This is the public’s best chance to provide their input on the design concept that our consultants are putting together for the community recreation facility,” said Kory Thomson, Superintendent of Recreation for Billings Parks and Recreation.
The discussion will take place in an open house format, and will include project goals and vision, community recreation needs and opportunities, project site discussion, programing and building design.
“It needs to be a representation of what our community is looking for in terms of increased opportunities, especially for indoor recreation. That can be anything from aquatics and swimming, sport courts like volleyball, basketball, pickle ball, and even ice for hockey or figure skating,” Thomson said.
The first meeting for the project’s master plan took place in September of 2018. The master plan was near completion when the pandemic halted all efforts. In December of 2021, the Billings City Council officially adopted a master plan.
Based on data from the National Parks and Recreation Association’s 2022 Agency Performance Review,
Thomson said a community the size of Billings should have two large indoor recreation centers.
The parks and recreation department has been able to host indoor sports in the past thanks to its partnership with Billings School District 2.
“But it doesn’t give us an opportunity to expand our programming. We basically maintain all of our programs through the schools, but there’s not a whole lot of space left to do that because their programs come first and then we pick up any hours that are available,” Thomson said.
The input collected Tuesday night will be used in addition to a survey recently distributed throughout the community that collected information on community needs for indoor recreation.
Members of the project’s core team will be at the meeting to listen to comments and answer questions from the public.
The core team is a representation of our community and is made up of special interest groups, recreation specialists, local sports coaches and others.
“I think it’s an investment in kids, families, and our active senior population. As our community ages, a lot of the folks now want to remain active. It’s going to increase opportunities for our community to get involved in recreation and sports,” Thomson said.
One of the center’s features could be an indoor pool. Both pools owned by the City of Billings and operated by Billings Parks and Recreation, are outdoor pools.
“In the summer, we’re fortunate to have Rose Park Pool and South Park Pool, but as soon as school starts, they’re closed for the year, and they have to wait until school gets out to do any swimming,” Thomson said.
The companies contracted to work on the project are A&E Design, BRS Architecture, and BallardKing Associates.
