Saratoga Springs residents packed the City Council chambers during Tuesday, June 3, City Council meeting to hear a presentation which unveiled plans for a proposed indoor recreation facility intended to be built on the city’s South Side recreation fields.

Over the course of the past month, the proposed indoor recreation center has been the hot topic at City Council meetings, causing residents from across the city to come out and voice their opinions either in favor or in opposition of the proposed facility.

Mayor Scott Johnson spoke first, stating that he supported the change of location from Weibel Avenue to the South Side recreation field for a number of reasons which included access to the facility by area youth.

“I hope that after tonight people will get a better feeling for what is being proposed and hopefully we can all agree that this is the best thing for the community,” Johnson said.

The proposed plans were presented by Mary Moore Wallinger, of Synthesis Design, and Susan Davis of Atelier Architecture. The design showed a 35,500-square foot facility, which is a reduction from the facility’s original plans that intended a 42,000-square foot structure to be built on the site.

The building will house two full-sized basketball courts with seating that can accommodate up to 300 people and a mezzanine overlooking the courts. There will also be racquetball courts, a rock climbing wall, community rooms and a main lobby with a snack bar. The proposed parking lot, which was originally proposed to hold 80 cars, has also been reduced to a 56-car parking lot.

Wallinger said approximately 53 percent of green space would be left on the three and a half acre field. The space could hold around three Division I-sized soccer fields and would still be a great space for children to play ball on, Wallinger said.

The spray ground will also remain in its existing place and the playground will be moved near the spray area and a fence will be placed around the parking lot to ensure the safety of children playing in the park.

The artist rendering of the facility showed that the building would be a brick structure with an average roof height of 35 feet, which is a far cry from the square metal box that residents had been concerned would occupy the field.

“This city deserves something more than a metal box,” Davis said.

Davis also addressed why the decision to move the facility from Weibel Avenue to the South Side recreation field had been made. She said the original site only had two useable acres of land and it had at least a 10 foot drop-off which posed problems for developers.

According to Davis, the site also lacked the necessary septic and water systems needed to construct the facility which the South Side recreation field already has in place. The price of building the structure at the Weibel Avenue location would have cost the city 8 to 10 percent more in building costs, according to Davis.

Davis said the current design of the building would cost the city $153 per square foot which would amount to $5.6 million. There is $6 million set aside for the facility in the capital budget.