GOSHEN – Goshen has talked about building a new community center for years, and now land is available.
The next step is to see if people who live there will pay for it.
“There has not been anything like this in Goshen,” said Bruce Stahly, who heads the Community Center Study Committee.
As envisioned, the layout for the proposed community center would look something like this – a place you could drive, bike or walk to. It would include 3 swimming pools, one for wellness, one for recreation and a competition pool. It would also include a gymnasium and fitness center with an indoor track, basketball and volleyball courts and room for classes.
There would also be family and activity rooms, along with meeting spaces for families, clubs and community groups.
Stahly feels it will serve everyone.
“It is a broad range; it is just not a single age group,” Stahly said. “It would be for all age groups.”
The Goshen Redevelopment Commission has agreed to donate land near the mill race for the project if it’s okayed – property that previously housed the Goshen Street Department.
The city of Goshen and the school system are involved in the project, which would be built with a bond issue that would first need to be approved by a taxpayer referendum.
City leaders and the school board would have to sign off on that first.
“The City Council and the Goshen board would need to approve this for a referendum, and then the referendum would be held in May of 2013,” said Stahly.
Although the proposal for the community center still has a number of steps to go before it becomes a reality, the idea has caught the attention of some business leaders who feel it is a good fit for the area.
“I think that it is a huge asset for the city of Goshen, and I would hope that the folks would recognize that,” said local businessman Todd Eby.
