Rec district moving forward with center planning

The Coulee Area Park & Recreation District is moving forward on the planning of an “Aquatic Wellness and Fitness Center.”

District President Bob Valen said Monday that the district will soon advertise for qualified firms to indicate an interest in developing conceptual drawings of what the center would look like.

The district commissioners then would ask qualified firms to submit their ideas for such a center. The firm chosen would make a set of conceptual drawings for two possible locations, one across the highway from Coulee Medical Center and a second at the old middle school property.

Valen stated that the district has a $25,000 grant from Grant County’s Strategic Infrastructure Program to pay for the work.

The parks district maintains North Dam Park and Event Center with funds from local cities and towns through their hotel/motel tax and with funds from the Bureau of Reclamation, which actually owns the land.

Valen said that the district would like to develop two or three outside drawings and a couple of inside drawings of what the center might look like at the two different sites.

The drawings would show a half-size high school competition pool, a therapy pool, an areas for kids, separate locker rooms, some smaller meeting rooms and entrance area.

Commissioners in addition to Valen are Clarise Kuehne, Carla Marconi, Phil Hansen, and Mike Bjorklund.