Bartlett Community Center In November of 2000, the Bartlett Park District dedicated a 130,000-square-foot community center for its residents in which unsurpassed durability is integrated with functionality and flare. This multi-level, multi-generational recreation center is built in a welcoming neo-prairie type of architecture that harmonizes with the surrounding topography and pristine community enviroment. Featuring a central rotunda and radiating programming wings, the openness and circulation patterns give users comfortable internal gathering opportunities without sacrificing effective building operations. Planned activity space on the first floor includes a secure preschool wing with six classrooms and outside play area, separate leisure pools, party room, a six-lane competition lap pool, triple court gymnasium, raquetball courts, large senior activity room, multi- use 220-capacity banquet hall with mini theater, arts and crafts, dance and aerobics, and locker rooms. The lofty second floor features a three- lane running track open to the gym, a large health and fitness club, physical, therapy, fitness studio, office space, and locker rooms.                                                                                                                                                                                    — Lori J. Miller

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"Give us more, do it better, and do it now" are words that most recreation service providers have heard in recent times. Yes, Americans are living longer, working longer hours, and demanding more quality and opportunities in their recreation and leisure experiences. Programming innovations, indoor activity pools, technology integration, and collaborative financing are just a few ways that recreation centers have evolved in the last decade.

In response to these consumer-driven demands, the design of these facilities has changed dramatically as well. Boxed buildings with walled-off rooms give way to new facilities with architecture that is spatially exciting. Hallways are now "exploded" and gone are maze-like corridors, so people have greater visual experiences and interaction with their environment.

No longer labeled "blue hairs," senior citizens, along with the young professionals, are driving the demand of high-quality design and programming to enhance their active lifestyles. This era of good health, good fortune and a quest for the highest quality of leisure time is unprecedented, and communities are responding.

"Recreational centers are taking on an extremely diverse character where they are not singularly focused," says Michael T. Williams, principal of the architectural firm Williams Architects in Wheaton, Ill. "They're truly leisure, recreational, cultural and family centers now.

"Centers are becoming a representation of the blending and inter-relationships among all of the age groups, and are also becoming more of a town center than just recreational."

Take, for example, the Bartlett Community Center. In November of 2000, the Bartlett Park District—which serves a young community of 35,000 residents— responded to customer requests with the grand opening of a state-of-the-art recreation center. The facility features a central rotunda with radiating programming wings and amenities such as an indoor competition-sized pool and zero-depth leisure pools, triple court gymnasium, preschool room, banquet hall, dance and program rooms, and a large fitness center. All these features are typical of a recreation center located in a community much larger than Bartlett. Yet, taxpayers voted favorably and, combined with user fees, this crowd-pleaser is successfully funded and already frequented by many.

In Glenview, park district residents are now benefiting from the former Naval Air Station site with its state-of-the-art, 165,000-square-foot, two-story "community center," which opened with a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2000. With emphasis on intergenerational programming and effective design elements, this two-story center is part of a multi-facility plan for a 140-acre public park and provides spaces for many community programs.

The city of Elgin will no longer be just known for quality watches, milk and butter, since a stunning new "Family Recreation Center" is underway in the central downtown core of its cultural district on the Fox River. Several major spaces will be included, such as a large gymnasium, natatorium, racquetball

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• More community involvement in planning. • Multi-use, flexible-use facilities that can fluctuate with a community's needs and demographic make-up. • Full-service facilities, which provide more economical construction and a family-oriented experience. • Online registration, membership tracking, prepaid service cards, virtual reality entertainment systems and high-tech security. • Creative financing: public/private partnerships, alternative revenue sources, user-group fund-raising and sponsorships.

courts, health, fitness, and wellness spaces, climbing and rappelling wall, pro-shop, a cafe, seniors' center, preschool, dance and aerobics, auxiliary gym, kayak rentals, multi-use spaces, and administrative offices. This is one of the nation's largest recreation centers, and it will be used by the general public and increase the space and ability for community gathering. "This is an exciting project for Elgin and will provide the city with the facility that the entire community will be drawn to," says Dave Lawry, general services manager for the city of Elgin. "This is a true community center, done for all of them, from seniors down through teens and preschoolers." Lawry says that all of the desired programming space was included, even courts for racquetball—which many believe is sport that is fading out—and spaces for high-demand teen and senior programs, which typically have been loss-leaders. Elgin's experience illustrates the movement toward increased community involvement in the planning of recreational centers, where people find an issue that's near and dear to them. In Glenview, the park district began planning its new center in 1992 when it surveyed residents. The positive reaction was the catalyst for dozens of meetings with the public, staff and program participants. The shift from "fitness" to "wellness" is more than terminology. It's a lifestyle change underway that stresses the integration of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. "People are more concerned with their health and fitness due to a greater awareness as they are living longer, are more active and retiring earlier," says Ray Morrill, a 28-year veteran superintendent of recreation for the Wheaton Park District. "Seniors no longer want the traditional field trip, luncheon, and card games. They want activities that challenge them both mentally and physically. Multiple-use flexibility proves more functional as customers needs'change." Programming space originally designed for one purpose is now designed to accommodate a variety of programs. So, if the senior club needs more space and arts-and-crafts programs lose their popularity, a room for the arts program can become the seniors' space. And Morrill predicts this concept of multiple-use flexibility will continue. Wheatons 122,000-square-foot community center, built in 1990, was designed with 20 percent of its space reserved for future growth. In fact, the space was used almost immediately for a children's museum. Wheaton residents take pride in the fact that their aesthetically and functionally pleasing recreational center and 1,500-bather Rice Pool have become a focal point of the community. The pool serves as a national model for zero-depth edge waterpark design.

Trends Versus Fads

If form is to follow function, then architects and owners must continue to collaborate on identifying trends versus merely fads. While trends support and complement important lifestyle changes, fads are short-term, peak early and do not survive.

Convenience, Flexibility and Added Value
At the 2000 Athletic Business Conference held in November in Orlando, FL, many practical and relevant sessions focused on topics geared to raise recreation success into the next decade. Not surprisingly, value-added trends that should continue in the 21st century include healthy lifestyles, exercising, value pricing, proper nutrition, convenience technology, and stress reduction. The more adaptable it is, the greater the chance of being a trend.

Two key market segments expected to endorse a trend are working women and baby boomers. With Americans having endless choices to spend limited leisure time, recreation centers must embrace exceptional and value-added services and staff. These customer-service focused trends are now based on customers' needs, not the staff or facility needs, and by selling the benefits and advantages instead of just the features. A plus, documented by Roper Starch Worldwide, validates that Americans who recreate are substantially

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more content with their lives than those who do not, they live longer and feel their recreation and leisure experiences are important.

Some areas of the recreation center remain designed for specific activities such as locker rooms, while other areas are being designed to function for multiple purposes. This accommodates the changing recreational and leisure requirements of the community from year to year.

Larry Kmiecik, chief architect with Williams Associates, says: "Pools must now accommodate lap swimming, aquatic aerobics, swim lessons for all ages, water polo, scuba, synchronized swimming, diving, rehabilitation therapy, as well as leisure swim activities. The trend is to provide a facility that can fluctuate with a community's needs and demographic make-up."

Birthday parties, meeting rooms, athletics, martial arts, arts and crafts, preschool, dance, fitness, cooking, music and drama are examples of diverse programming that requires room flexibility.

Kmiecik adds: "In lieu of providing many smaller buildings throughout the community, the trend has been to provide the full-service facility, which provides for more economical construction and operational costs with the value-added

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benefit of being truly a family recreational experience."

Convenience to individuals' schedules and time-saving efficiencies for family activities are often deciding factors. Parents can now make one trip to one facility and have their children attend an activity while the parents participate in their own event simultaneously. A supervised room for temporary childcare is very important to many users so that parents can leave their children in a clean, safe and fun environment while they enjoy a program or a workout.

Technology
Computer technology advancements have influenced the facility design, allowing architects to utilize powerful software tools to show clients multiple possibilities with increased functionality. Three-dimensional rendering creates a significant visual aid, capturing both interior and exterior design concepts to demonstrate the use and flow of space. Programs saved in a computer file format that transports and portrays facility animations effortlessly on a laptop computer at client presentations, minimizing the need to build facility models.

"Clients will be able to take a virtual walk-through in schematic or conceptual design phase to get a realistic look at their facility early on," explains architect Dave Kafer of Williams Associates. "We have moved beyond the traditional two-dimensional drawings."

Other technology trends for these facilities include the implementation of online registration, membership tracking, prepaid services cards, high-tech equipment with interactive capability, entertainment and virtual reality systems, and Internet delivery of services.

Establishing the voice and data communications infrastructure and integrating the technologies seamlessly is now a vital component of the facility design. Staff needs the ability to effectively share information and communicate throughout the modern facility and often with many locations and customers. Gains in wireless technology and future innovations may lessen the structured cabling required, and can have owners independent of the traditional "Telco" solution for material operational cost savings.

Security systems hard-wired from the beginning enable sophisticated and effective methods of providing patron and facility security at lower costs. For example, Glencoe Park District's Watts Ice Center development calls for an overall district security and monitoring system from a central location to eliminate redundant expenses and provide an increased level of patron safety. Supported computer workstations for identified personnel capable of Internet access, electronic mail, office automation and recreational software will aid staff in delivering exceptional customer service.

Creative Financing
Multi-use recreational facilities, land and site costs, furnishings, and operations don't come cheap. Public facilities traditionally are supported with a combination of tax

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dollars (tax rate increases, revenue, general obligation, or alternate revenue source bonds) and user fees. These funds are supplemented with grants, donations, and fund-raising.

Frequently, public agencies put a question on the ballot asking for taxpayer support to fund a large capital project, and then hope that the yes-votes outnumber the no-votes to get the project approved. However, seniors are providing more support at the voting booths as they have increased ability to pay and a vested interest.

Owners are finding more creative and yet fiscally responsible methods to successfully fund these projects and lighten the burden on taxpayers. Partnerships are now common among park districts and municipalities, school districts, hospitals, and corporations. All parties share the benefits of collaboration.

The private sector proves that recreation centers can be profitable. Yet, the private sector still tends to focus on select portions of customer needs that translate into a positive revenue stream. A new trend gaining favor is the short-term public/private investor agreement, such as when a private investor/owner builds to suit for a public entity/operator who operates the facility for a set period of time for a fixed fee back to the investors and the operator keeps the net proceeds or losses. The public entity may have the option to buy the facility from the private investor at a set date. For its new $31.4 million facility, the city of Elgin employed a unique capital source from riverboat gambling proceeds. City officials set aside gambling revenues to fund its redevelopment of the downtown area, so the new community center qualified for roughly half of this special funding, and bonds financed the balance. Interestingly, though, the debt service on those bonds is also financed by gambling proceeds. Revenue streams from user fees should continue to fund operating expenses, but may not necessarily recover construction costs.

Financed partly by riverboat casino revenues, the city of Elgin's Family Recreation Center is one of the nation's largest recreation centers under construction at 206,550 square feet and at a price of $31,383,000.

"Recreation centers have really become the community center— where one-stop shopping for leisure and recreational needs of all ages can be met. " — Michael T. Williams, Williams Architects

Corporations are providing revenue sources in exchange for advertisements, and hospitals are paying the equivalent of rental fees for operating wellness centers within the recreation center. These "win-win" focused efforts should fare well to allow centers to fund more options that customers deserve and want now. What makes a recreational center in the 21st century? No longer singularly focused, they are designed for multiple use and programmed for all ages. No longer responsive to fads, they are designed with trends in mind. Old swimming pool favorites are saved, adding a new splash. And all eyes are on the architecture that is now an exciting, visual experience. This is certainly not the space-age "Jetson's" prototype for a recreation facility, but it is unquestionably alluring.

"The opportunities for social interaction are now at our disposal," says Mike Williams. "Recreation centers have really become the community center—where one-stop shopping for leisure and recreational needs of all ages can be met." •

LORI J. MILLER
is director of operations for Williams Architects.

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