City of Seguin takes official steps towards a possible aquatics/rec center

Seguin, TX, USA / Seguin Today
Darren Dunn

(Seguin) — The city of Seguin is moving forward with a study that could eventually lead to a bond election calling for the possible creation of an aquatic and recreation facility.

The idea of creating a community recreation center, with swimming pools, was well received during a recent meeting of the Seguin City Council.

The item was back on the council’s agenda on Tuesday night, with a request that the city hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on the project.

Parks and Recreation Director Jack Jones says they are hiring Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects. The company will help better inform the city and the public about the possibilities for the project.

“The study is just the start of the process to inform council, citizens, staff of what it would take, what it would cost, how big, how small, locations, programming, staffing — all of those things come into play with a feasibility study,” said Jones.

The firm has a long history of helping to inform decision makers about these kinds of projects. Jones says that’s one of the reasons why they were selected to work with the city of Seguin.

“Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects — they did the one in New Braunfels back in 2014. That led to Das Rec that opened in 2018. Currently, Brinkley Sargent and Wiginton, they are working on several projects just in the past couple of years in Sherman, Texas; Pasadena, Deer Park, College Station, North Richland Hills, McKinney, Irving and New Braunfels,” said Jones.

Jones says that the study will look at every aspect of this potential project, including things like what people want in a recreation center and ultimately what the city can afford to build and operate.

The study will explore all options and give the city all the information that it needs to make a decision about the project’s future.

“It does incorporate a recreation center and it is also indoor, outdoor aquatics. That can be indoor. It can be outdoor. It can be both. So, the study will look at Seguin and look at us and see what we can afford and really the company, their philosophy is provide sound data and informed advice to the client to enable the most educated decision making possible which this is. We are educating ourselves to make a decision about a possible rec center, aquatics center at some point down the road,” said Jones.

The architectural firm will do more than just look at the building and the programs that could be offered there.

Jones says the consultants are bringing in some additional professional help that will pinpoint the financing and costs of the project, and also help to determine exactly what people want and what they are willing to pay if the center is built.

“They have a couple of sub consultants. One is called PROS Consulting. They help with the financial stuff. They do financial analysis across the country and also, for the statistically valid survey, that is going to be subbed out to a company called ETC Institute. They do the surveys in their sleep across the country over 600 in 49 states,” said Jones.

Jones says the statistically valid survey will be a very important part of the overall feasibility study. He says it will give the city the best possible feedback from the public, and provide a better picture of what the community really wants.

“We know antidotally in the parks master plan of 2020 that people want this. People are telling us they want this. If you want this, we are hearing some of the things that you have to consider. So, the survey, when it comes out, will be statistically valid. It’s one thing for people to go online and hit ‘yes, yes, yes, no, no’ and all of that — This will be something that is mailed out to all demographics, neighborhoods — things like that. There is a science to this and then, the response can be either in writing or online through a QR code that can only be used one time. So, it can’t be some group, a bunch of swimmers that say ‘hey, we want big 50 meter pool and they just stack the decks. That can’t happen,” said Jones.

The city will pay just over $106,000 to fund the feasibility study. The work on the study will be done in phases. Phase one will be a needs assessment. Phase two will provide concept options for the project and establish an overall vision for the work. The third and final phase will provide an operation and financial plan for the project.

The council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move forward with the study.

(Seguin) — The city of Seguin is moving forward with a study that could eventually lead to a bond election calling for the possible creation of an aquatic and recreation facility.

The idea of creating a community recreation center, with swimming pools, was well received during a recent meeting of the Seguin City Council.

The item was back on the council’s agenda on Tuesday night, with a request that the city hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on the project.

Parks and Recreation Director Jack Jones says they are hiring Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects. The company will help better inform the city and the public about the possibilities for the project.

“The study is just the start of the process to inform council, citizens, staff of what it would take, what it would cost, how big, how small, locations, programming, staffing — all of those things come into play with a feasibility study,” said Jones.

The firm has a long history of helping to inform decision makers about these kinds of projects. Jones says that’s one of the reasons why they were selected to work with the city of Seguin.

“Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects — they did the one in New Braunfels back in 2014. That led to Das Rec that opened in 2018. Currently, Brinkley Sargent and Wiginton, they are working on several projects just in the past couple of years in Sherman, Texas; Pasadena, Deer Park, College Station, North Richland Hills, McKinney, Irving and New Braunfels,” said Jones.

Jones says that the study will look at every aspect of this potential project, including things like what people want in a recreation center and ultimately what the city can afford to build and operate.

The study will explore all options and give the city all the information that it needs to make a decision about the project’s future.

“It does incorporate a recreation center and it is also indoor, outdoor aquatics. That can be indoor. It can be outdoor. It can be both. So, the study will look at Seguin and look at us and see what we can afford and really the company, their philosophy is provide sound data and informed advice to the client to enable the most educated decision making possible which this is. We are educating ourselves to make a decision about a possible rec center, aquatics center at some point down the road,” said Jones.

The architectural firm will do more than just look at the building and the programs that could be offered there.

Jones says the consultants are bringing in some additional professional help that will pinpoint the financing and costs of the project, and also help to determine exactly what people want and what they are willing to pay if the center is built.

“They have a couple of sub consultants. One is called PROS Consulting. They help with the financial stuff. They do financial analysis across the country and also, for the statistically valid survey, that is going to be subbed out to a company called ETC Institute. They do the surveys in their sleep across the country over 600 in 49 states,” said Jones.

Jones says the statistically valid survey will be a very important part of the overall feasibility study. He says it will give the city the best possible feedback from the public, and provide a better picture of what the community really wants.

“We know antidotally in the parks master plan of 2020 that people want this. People are telling us they want this. If you want this, we are hearing some of the things that you have to consider. So, the survey, when it comes out, will be statistically valid. It’s one thing for people to go online and hit ‘yes, yes, yes, no, no’ and all of that — This will be something that is mailed out to all demographics, neighborhoods — things like that. There is a science to this and then, the response can be either in writing or online through a QR code that can only be used one time. So, it can’t be some group, a bunch of swimmers that say ‘hey, we want big 50 meter pool and they just stack the decks. That can’t happen,” said Jones.

The city will pay just over $106,000 to fund the feasibility study. The work on the study will be done in phases. Phase one will be a needs assessment. Phase two will provide concept options for the project and establish an overall vision for the work. The third and final phase will provide an operation and financial plan for the project.

The council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move forward with the study.

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