BOUNTIFUL—The South Davis Recreation Center is a popular place for families and individuals to have some fun while getting some exercise – but it’s bursting at the seams. Since it was built in 2008, the South Davis Recreation District (SDRD) has grown by 12,000 residents and expects an additional 30,000 new residents by 2050.

To accommodate that growth, the SDRD is proposing improvements to the current facility and the addition of a second Rec Center. 

“We’ve had four outreach events,” said Executive Director Tif Miller. “Feedback from the people on the west side is they want a satellite facility in North Salt Lake or Woods Cross that’s closer to them. We’ve located some possibilities, we just have to decide what’s best.”

“The challenge is making it large enough and convenient enough to house a facility like this,” said Whitney Ward, principal at VCBO Architecture. “We’re finalizing the Master Plan. We’re looking for community feedback. We’ll share the outcomes of the Master Plan with the community to see whether they support the recommendations.”

Some of the improvements to the existing facility include; new group fitness rooms, new youth/teen fitness areas, new member’s only entry, new family change rooms, a 50-meter pool and team locker rooms.

“We’ll relocate the childcare center and build that area out to make another fitness space,” Miller said. “We’ve had more demand for fitness space. We’ll be adding a new open fitness space on the mezzanine connected to the current fitness rooms.”

The Recreation District would need a bond to fund the project. “Our polls show residents approve of the new improvements and additional building,” Ward said. “They have tax concerns but they value what enhanced recreation brings to the community and increased engagement in health and wellness is part of everybody’s lifestyle and gives added amenities for the community.”

The bond impacts for a home valued at $391,000 (a taxable value of $215,050) will have an increase of $32 per year for the first three years until the existing bond expires and an increase of $28 per year or $2.33 per month thereafter, according to the SDRD. The bond will be on the November ballot.

“We have one of the largest Jr. Jazz programs in the state,” Miller said. “The property at the new facility would also include more field space. That would take some pressure off of us and the district so we can provide a better program. Working with the school district has been great but as we continue to grow we need more space.” 

Some of the amenities of the proposed new west side facility include; an outdoor seasonal pool, gymnasium, multi-sport court and cardio and weight areas.

“We want to make sure the community is getting what they want,” said Miller. “If the bond gets approved we will start bidding for contractors and send out an RFP to get the process rolling. The project will take about 18 months to get done but it depends on the climate of everything that’s happening. But we hope to complete it by 2022.”