Airway plans for rec center's future

For the Airway Heights Recreation Center, the future is bright.

As construction on the 46,000 square foot facility continues, the recreation center nearly two decades in the making is finally taking shape. Though the center is not yet open, the city is already thinking ahead and trying to anticipate future needs.

Workers are laying conduit for outdoor field lighting to be added later, and the city is contemplating putting in a 2019 legislative request for additional lighting for the baseball and softball fields that will be constructed in Phase II of the project, said J.C. Kennedy, parks, recreation and community director.

"By doing things in advance, you don't have to tear out or replace work that's already been done, and it actually saves money in the long run," project manager Brandon Gadish said.

Kennedy said he hopes the center will help create strong kids, families and businesses and make the West Plains an even better place to live.

"We know that national research has started to indicate more and more that when businesses are looking for places to relocate to, one of the things they're looking at is the parks and recreation and the infrastructure in the region, so we think this is key for our area," Kennedy said.

The center, primarily funded by a $13 million bond approved by voters last year, has been under construction since November 2017 and is set to be completed early next year.

Originally slated to open June 2018, the opening has been pushed back due to delays associated with construction, Gadish said.

"The permit process has been a bit of a challenge, and we've also been coming up with solutions for the fields," Gadish said.

The outdoor fields presented a challenge to workers after they discovered that below a thin layer of dirt was dense river rock.

"There was a river running through this site at one point in history, so this whole area is full of river rock," Kennedy said.

It could have been worse, Gadish said. A mere half mile away at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino construction site, the ground was primarily basalt rock that required dynamite to break up.

As it was, mitigating the problem meant taking out larger rocks and adding more topsoil to make the land suitable for safe outdoor fields, including a multi-purpose field that can be used for soccer games.

Gadish estimated that at least 15-20 workers focused on a variety of project components are on the job site each day.

As the center nears completion, local residents can look forward to multiple outdoor spaces, a fitness area and a pool complete with a lazy river and an above-ground water playground for kids.

The new facility will also offer a fully functional kitchen, party rooms and child care.

While the center will be a membership-driven facility, there will still be several areas that can be accessed without a membership, including a community room decked out with a ping-pong table, pool table and 85-inch flat screen TV.

The recreation center will host special events that are open to everyone in the community, like father/daughter dances. It will also provide an additional seven full-time positions and up to 100 part-time jobs, Kennedy said.

"Look 30 years in the future, this area will be much more central to the community," Kennedy said.

The site has plenty of room for expansion, Kennedy said, and the city has discussed eventually adding a second gymnasium and classrooms for vocational training.

These ideas may only be rough plans for now, but as the project progresses, the city wants be ready to meet the evolving needs of West Plains residents.

If construction continues as planned, the facility will be completed March 1, 2019.

Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].