Published: March 13, 2008 10:41 am      

MAC may expand

City, schools, YMCA to discuss operations of new facility

EDMOND — The Parks and Recreation Board, Edmond Public Schools and the Edmond YMCA will meet during a special workshop at 4:30 p.m. March 13 to discuss possible operations of the future MAC expansion.

The YMCA plans to build a new facility adjoining the Multipurpose Activity Center, commonly referred to as the MAC, in Mitch Park, as originally proposed more than seven years ago. The city’s portion of the MAC now houses the Edmond Senior Center and the Parks and Recreation Department’s administrative offices.

Mike Roark, executive director for the Edmond YMCA, said the new facility in Mitch Park will include family, aquatic and fitness elements with a pool and gymnasium. He said the family element will include designated areas for families to be active and spend time together.

Steve Commons, assistant city manager of administration, said the YMCA more than likely will operate the general facility even though it is on city property. Each of the three entities is committing $6 million for a total of about $18 million for the expansion project. Commons said the city also will contribute $160,000 for a concept plan, to be paid from the 2000 capital improvements sales tax.

“The intention was to build more of a recreational aspect,” Commons said. “It (MAC) doesn’t have a gymnasium or workout areas.”

Commons said he heard from members of the school district that they were concerned about the long-term future at the facilities their swim teams are currently utilizing. The new facility at the MAC would include a pool the teams could hold their competitions in. Neither the city nor the YMCA could fund construction of the type of facility they wanted on its own, he said.

“To have all three of us have this need at the same time is great,” Commons said.

When discussion first began about the expansion, Edmond Public Schools looked into the possibility of installing an Olympic-sized pool. Commons said, however, that upgrading from a normal sized pool to an Olympic-sized pool would cost multi-millions.

“They can’t justify spending resources for an Olympic-sized pool because they don’t need it,” he said. “None of us have the resources beyond what we’ve identified to do that.”

He said there could be a possibility of having an Olympic-sized pool if residents expressed an interest in paying for it on their own.

“It’s a wonderful collaboration because obviously we work together already,” Roark said. “Recreation and health are huge for our society.”

Roark said the Edmond YMCA will continue to keep its two current locations open, which have a combined membership of about 10,000.

The 4:30 p.m. meeting will take place at the MAC, 2733 Marilyn Williams Drive, on Covell between Kelly and Santa Fe.