BENTONVILLE — The City Council approved several items Tuesday clearing the way to build the Bentonville Community Center.
Chief among those items was authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Crossland Construction to build the center for $16.1 million.
The 82,000 square-foot recreation center in southwest Bentonville. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. Nov. 12, said Bob McCaslin, mayor. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.
David Wright, parks and recreation director, told the council he’s worked on several big projects during his years with the city.
“This is the granddaddy of them all,” he said.
After a 2009 survey, the city came up with the 10 amenities residents wanted most in the center, including an indoor aquatic center, an indoor track and a weight room. Only one of the top 10 — an outdoor swimming area — will not be part of the facility. An indoor zero-depth-entry leisure pool will include playground equipment in the middle and be connected to lap lanes for swimmers, Wright said.
Wright presented design plans and photos of what the center will look like inside and out. The facility will sit in a 35-acre park.
A $2.6 million competition pool is also part of the plan, made possible in part by a $1 million contribution from the Bentonville School District. The high school’s swim and dive teams will have priority access to that pool in accordance with an agreement between the School District and city.
The council approved that agreement Tuesday. The School Board approved it by a 4-3 vote on Thursday. Dissenting board members cited financial concerns.
If the School Board hadn’t approved the agreement, it would have been difficult to keep the competition pool in the center’s plans, McCaslin said.
“Without the school being the known user, it would have been a tough call to proceed with (the pool) in there,” McCaslin said. “But I didn’t want to use that as a threat that if you vote no, we won’t build a pool. It’s a business decision. I think they will find that over a period of time to be a mutually beneficial vote.”
The high school’s swim teams use a pool at the Walton Fitness Center in Bentonville for 90 minutes three days per week. The only cost to the district is an additional $590 in liability insurance, according to Sterling Ming, district finance director.
District administrators, however, have been trying to find another place for the swim teams to practice because of the increased use of the fitness center. Center officials have said they’d like the district to find another place to practice, said Michael Poore, superintendent.
Poore attended Tuesday’s council meeting. McCaslin thanked him for the district’s contribution, which will be paid in three installments over the next two years.
“We appreciate your partnership and leadership,” McCaslin told Poore.
Money for the Community Center is coming from several places besides the School District. The city set aside $9 million for the project over four years. The Walton Family Foundation is giving $2 million. The Walmart Foundation, Community Care Foundation and Advertising and Promotion Commission are giving $1 million each.