Plans for Brownsburg community center underway, but completion still 'years out'

For years, Brownsburg community members have asked for an indoor recreational facility. 

Now, six acres at Arbuckle Acres Park could provide just that as proposed plans are moving along to make the park home to a new multi-million dollar "multigenerational community center."

Included would be an indoor pool, indoor fitness and exercise space, walking track, outdoor trails and various community spaces for seniors and special events. The 86,600-square-foot complex would be open year-round and cater to all ages.

"What we keep hearing from the community is that a center with the multigenerational component — for the little ones all the way up to our seniors — is needed here," said Brownsburg Parks director Travis Tranbarger. "People want a place to exercise, use the pool, spend time outside ... that's where the input has led us to focus."

Given that Brownsburg is growing — the town's population has grown by more than 12,000 in less than 20 years and is currently home to around 26,000 residents — Tranbarger said it's "increasingly important that the town helps meet this community need."

What the community wants

Community assessments show Brownsburg residents especially want a year-round pool, Tranbarger said. While the pool at Brownsburg High School is open to the public, he added, it isn't always available due to school activities, making the town's ability to offer community programs at the high school pool "limited." And although there have been numerous recommendations for an outdoor pool, Tranbarger said building one "might not be the most effective."

An indoor pool can be managed and used year-round, he said, and current designs for such allow for a heated therapy area: "Not everyone wants to be in cold water, and this means we can better cater to different age groups."

In August 2018, the Park Board and Town Council approved funding to go toward pre-design of the center. Three community workshops earlier this year further helped project planners make sense of what of what members of the community want most in the plans: aquatic space, gymnasiums and group fitness areas are among those top priorities.

Brownsburg resident Beth Hickman said she attended one of the community workshops and was "happy" with what was being discussed so far.

"I'm a little older myself, and it would be great to have a place I can go — but a place my grandkids can go to, too," she said. "I think the community needs this ... and it's good that we're able to be a part of the conversations and planning."

Alyssa McMillan, who also attended one of the meetings, said she recently moved to the town and hopes to see the community center become a place where her young kids can use and enjoy as they grow up.

"It would be great to have somewhere with a pool and activities in our own backyard," she said. "I hope it comes together soon."

More work ahead

But the project still has a ways to go.

Brownsburg Parks and town officials have already spent close to five years exploring how a facility like this could fit within the downtown Bronwsburg area. It's taken time to gather community input, determine what kinds of amenities are needed and explore how the facility will be paid for.

With the project still in the pre-design phase, Tranbarger says it could still be another three to four years before construction is completed and the community center is ready to be used. The town council, too, might want to see the plans altered before construction can begin, meaning additional months added to the timeline. 

"We may still have to go back to the drawing board with some elements, and the designs might still need changes before they can be finalized," Tranbarger said. "Even with an aggressive timeline, we're still years out."

In the meantime, a task force is considering prices for membership fees and studying up on programs the facility could eventually offer. Negotiations on a capital partnership with IU Health West Hospital are ongoing, leaving details about where the $33-$37.5 million needed for the center will come from to be determined. 

"It’s a lengthy process, and it has been over the last several years," Tranbarger said. "But it’s just going to take some more time to make sure we do it right."

At the Brownsburg Town Council's May 23 meeting, where the center's pre-designs were presented and discussed, council member Chris Worley said the plans already look like they'll meet multigenerational needs, "even just in the aquatic facility."

"I know the parks department has years and years of community surveys and feedback that say, 'We want aquatics,' he said. "And these designs are already showing this community center will offer much more than that alone."

The Brownsburg Town Council and Parks Board still have to sign off on the project's final design plans, which could happen in October, Tranbarger said. If plans continue to be approved on schedule, the community center could be finished and open by late 2022 or early 2023.

Call IndyStar reporter Casey Smith at 317-444-6176 or email her at casmith@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter @SmithCaseyA.