A community pool, banquet space and rental rooms for small businesses have all been floated as needs to be filled in the Lowell area. Since last year, a group of volunteers has been meeting regularly to determine how to make those facilities a reality.
“Although we have many ideas for what we want in our community center, my passion from the start has been to bring a community pool to the Lowell area,” says Stacey Prater, a member of the Lowell Area Community Center Committee. “I want to see an aquatic center that can support our school swim team with swim meets and water polo.” Plus, she’d love to see a place where local families could go for swim lessons, water aerobics, birthday parties and more.
However, Prater and other members of the committee recognize that a community center must have broad appeal and support in order to succeed. To that end, the committee has launched an online survey to clarify what recreation and facility gaps exist in the Lowell community and which ones residents are most eager to fill.
Lowell Community Center Survey Open for Two Weeks
The Lowell Community Center Survey will be open for responses from May 4-18, 2020.
“The community needs to be involved with this process,” says committee member Bob Rogers. “It’s important to know how far people are driving for services and options and if they wouldn’t mind paying for the same here, closer to home.”
While past surveys have asked residents about community needs, it’s been years since the last one was completed. The landscape in Lowell has changed significantly during the past decade and continues to grow today. For instance, the YMCA is currently in the midst of a campaign to move into the former Impact Church building. That move is expected to expand their services and may fill some community needs, leaving the proposed community center to focus on other priorities.
“Sometimes I think the center will offer up an extensive list of services such as outdoor recreation, banquet hall, multi-purpose rooms, pools, etc.,” Rogers says, “but then again it might start out small with a few multi-purpose rooms with expansion for future community needs. We just don’t know right now.”
You can help the committee decide how to proceed by filling out the online survey. Results will be tabulated and included in a report to be completed by consulting firm Williams & Works.
Once the committee has that information, they will decide on their next steps. “I’m excited for the future of this project and can’t wait to see how it enhances this sweet, little town that I love,” says committee member Jill Smith.
Fill out the online survey here. You can also learn more on the Lowell Area Community Center Committee Facebook page.
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