Architects unveil amenities in possible Blue Springs community center

Blue Springs residents are getting a much clearer image about what a community center might look like if one is constructed in the city.

During the final community center feasibility meeting Tuesday at the Blue Springs Freshman Center, more than 50 residents looked at plans for a possible facility.

At almost 85,000 square feet, the potential community center includes a Child Watch area; indoor playground for children 7 and younger; a game room for children 11 to 16; a cardio and weight-lifting space; a large community/event room that at full size could accommodate up to 240 people; staff offices; a catering kitchen; gymnasium; three aerobic studios; a three-lane, 25-yard swimming pool; a warm water leisure pool with slides, spray features and a spa and a warm water therapy pool designed for senior citizens. The Blue Springs Parks and Recreation Offices would also be relocated to the community center in the plan.

In addition, there would be a performing arts center feature in the community/event room that would allow for an elevated stage for theater and musical performances. The room could also be subdivided into three spaces. According to the architects, such a facility would cost just more than $37.54 million to construct. About $500,000 of that has been set aside to make the community center a green facility that conserves resources.

We really took what residents told us (in designing the potential facility, said Steve Blackburn, architect with Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture. We also see this as a sustainable facility that will save water, save energy and use solar hot water heating for the three bodies of water.

The architects also outlined potential sites for such a facility. The first is a 12-acre spot at the southwest corner of White Oak Plaza at the corner of U.S. 40 and Missouri 7. The second is in the future Missouri Innovation Park just south of the proposed Mizzou Center and east of Adams Dairy Parkway. Both sites are centrally located within the community, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

While the White Oak Plaza site is easily accessible and has current utility access, it would require the demolition of the current shopping center as well as much of the parking lot. A commuter lot would also have to be relocated. At the Adams Dairy site, access to the 12-acre property is limited, with few options to create additional access points.

The design team is expected to make a presentation to the Blue Springs City Council Feb. 19. It will then be left up to the council to decide the next steps, such as placing a tax increase on an upcoming ballot to pay for construction of a community center.

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Architects unveil amenities in possible Blue Springs community center