The City of Taylor, in partnership with BRS Architecture, is studying the feasibility of construction and operation of a Wellness and Recreation Center. They need resident input on facility requirements to serve local needs. A community meeting will be held on September 25 from 6:30p-8p at the Taylor Public Library. Residents are encouraged to attend even if they cannot stay for the entire meeting or if they will be coming late. This event will help the City understand the community’s needs, understand the full scope of costs, and identify potential funding sources.
Following the meeting, a community survey will launch to provide opportunities for input to those who are unable to attend the community meetings.
A follow-up community meeting will be held on November 20.
Project Background and History
In 2004, during the development of the Parks Master Plan, indoor recreation facilities were identified by the community as a need. Designs were developed for a facility and a bond election was held in 2010 to fund a $3 Million facility in partnership with the YMCA. The bond election failed. During the 2016 Parks and Recreation Master Plan development, an indoor recreation facility was again identified as a need with 83% of participants in support.
In 2022, the St. David’s foundation held a community meeting/board meeting focusing on the health/wellness needs of Taylor/greater Eastern Williamson County, with dozens of county, municipal and non-profit organizations represented. One major take away from the meeting was the lack of and need for a large community space for residents to improve their physical and mental well-being. A wellness center can provide a wide range of community benefits, catering to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals. Here are some key community benefits of a wellness center: Improved Physical Health, Mental Health Support, Health Education, Social Interaction, Access to Professionals, Stress Reduction, Preventive Care, Community Engagement, Seniors and Youth Engagement and Promotion of Healthy Habits.
In 2023, the Parks and Recreation department began a wide array of programs for the residents. The attendance and support for these programs have been overwhelming. This is all being done with very little usable indoor recreation space. At the September 28th, 2023 meeting, City Council approved issuing the RFQ . The RFQ was issued on February 4th and the submissions were opened on March 4th. There were eight submissions received. After a multi-round interview process, staff recommended awarding the RFQ to Barker Rinker Seacat(BRS) Architecture, which City Council approved at the April 25th meeting. BRS is a firm that specializes in the planning and design of indoor public spaces, most specifically Wellness/Recreation Centers, Senior Centers and Athletic Complexes, with almost 50 years of experience. BRS has partnered with a variety of industry experts to help complete this study.
At the regular Council Meeting on July 11, the City of Taylor approved a scope and fee contract with BRS Architecture. The project is funded by approximately $184,000 in donations from Samsung for Quality of Life improvements. The study will estimate the demographics of potential users, identify community needs, engage residents in development of potential programming, estimate the cost of construction, identify potential funding sources, provide proposed plans for the facility, and estimate operating costs of the facility.
Next Steps
Anyone interested should sign up to be notified of project updates on our website at www.taylortx.gov/RecreationFeasibilityStudy.
Following completion of the study, the City will evaluate the results and identify whether the construction and operation of a Wellness and Recreation Center is possible and how it will be funded. The study does not guarantee that the facility will be constructed.