Residents provide input for recreation center

Diana Sahagun

Wednesday, June 14, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

North Las Vegas resident Laura Utter is looking for a safe, fun-filled place for her rambunctious 2-year-old daughter, Annie, to play. A place that is well-lighted, has a sparkling pool, and offers activities such as arts and crafts.

The city of North Las Vegas hopes to cater to the wishes of Utter's family and other residents with the building of a new recreation center in the city's northwest, at Alexander Road and Allen Lane.

On Tuesday, the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met with residents to give them a chance to provide input into what programs and amenities they want at the new center.

More than a dozen residents attended, with several citing the lack of parks and recreation areas around the city.

North Las Vegas currently has one recreation center at 1638 N. Bruce St.

But Jim Koury left with one disappointment -- that he and his wife, Judy, will not be able to use the pool year-round. The pair have attended numerous meetings asking the board to consider covering the pool so it can be used in the winter months.

Judy Koury grew up in Santa Fe, N.M., a 67,000-resident town with five covered pools, and enjoyed swimming all year.

Jim Koury said he doubts if he would use the pool when it opens because the water temperature would be too warm from the summer heat.

"In our view, it's unfortunate that this is going the way it's going," he said. "It's like a done deal."

Wayne Schreiner of HSA Architects said the design is a prototype of the seven other recreation centers the company has designed around the Las Vegas Valley, including the Black Mountain Recreation Center in Henderson.

North Las Vegas residents will see a bigger and more expensive center than was originally planned by the council. In September, Clark County purchased the land and pitched in $1 million toward the cost of the center. The remaining cost would come from a $5 million bond already approved.

Originally, the $5 million center was to be modeled on the Desert Breeze Recreation Center at 8275 Spring Mountain Road. Council members then decided to go forward with the Black Mountain concept and signed a $414,000 agreement with HSA Architects to design the new center. The agreement includes the cost of architecture, engineering, putting the project out to bid and administration.

With the agreement with the firm, the project, which was conceived as a 22,000-square-foot center, will grow to 41,000 square feet. Total cost has also jumped to $7.8 million.

The center is expected to be out to bid by September and completed by early 2002, said Ken Albright, acting parks director.

Currently, the center is planned as a phased project, with the swimming pool coming a year after the center is open. But Albright said the city is in negotiations with the county to possibly help subsidize the cost so both components can open together.

The parks board said the center is planned for various types of activities including weight training, dance classes and five meeting rooms for workshops.

Jim Stritchko, recreation manager, said there may be a need for senior programs because a senior housing complex will be built directly across the street.

"Programming will be based on what the needs of the community are," he said.