The city does not have a projected cost for the plan at the Main Street park near the Great Miami River and it “is being designed so we can do things in phases one step at a time,” Moraine City Manager David Hicks has said.
While an indoor pool attached to the rec center and a splash pad may be years away, the plan’s first phase should begin early next year provided the city lands an $82,000 state grant for the construction of a nearly mile-long path around the park’s perimeter, Hoffman said.
“We wanted the plan to be low maintenance, easy to care for, but also very natural and beautiful,” she said. “And I think we’ve done a really good job starting to pull those things together.”
Aside from the rec center, the parks features playgrounds, picnic tables, grills, shelters, restrooms, ball fields, volleyball areas, fishing and horseshoes.
“This is a path that had been requested by our seniors frequently. We’ve heard this for years that (they) would like an outside walking option,” Hoffman added. “The territory is fairly flat and open and putting in a pathway will be a great fit for us.”
The city hired Champlin Architecture earlier this year for $20,000 to help create the plan. Among the Cincinnati firm's goals were to provide a plan that includes the rec center, surrounding parking space and green space, records show.
It also called for “reuse/removal of existing outdoor pool structures,” noting the plan “should be flexible, allowing for future possible uses, allow for ease of ongoing upkeep over time and meet budgetary goals,”
Champlin presented three options to Moraine officials, who endorsed one that keeps the parking lot intact, calls for space to be used to accommodate special events, adds a playground and a few small shelters, keeps the main ball field intact and includes an attached indoor pool, Hoffman said.
“Having an indoor pool separate from our recreation facility would increase staffing costs,” according to Hoffman, noting it “felt like the best mix of the positive attributes of each plan.
“As the master plan is implemented/phased in, during the next five to 10 years, the plan will be modified, and adjusted….,” she stated in an email. “Council will consider legislation for each piece of the plan as funding and resources are available to move forward.”
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