MH City Council approves bonds for community center, park improvements
Mountain Home’s planned community center and parks overhaul took another step towards becoming a reality Thursday night with the Mountain Home City Council approving the issuing of $36 million in bonds to support those projects.
The bonds are backed by a half-percent sales tax approved last year by Mountain Home voters. That sales tax, along with a quarter-percent sales tax to support the city’s Parks Department, went into effect on July 1.
The sale of the bonds will be finalized on Aug. 31, at which time the city will receive the $36 million. Those funds will be used to build a community center and aquatic facility and provide a sweeping upgrade of facilities at all of the city’s parks.
The half-cent sales tax supporting the bonds will stop being collected when the bonds are paid off in about 17 years. The city may pay off the remaining bonds at any time with no penalty after September 2028 should it have the capability to do so.
Mayor Hillrey Adams said the city would likely finalize the design of the combination community center and aquatic center by January or February, with construction beginning that spring. The mayor said the city’s site prep at McCabe Park would flow right into the building’s actual construction.
Adams said, “It’s not going to be doing a little bit here and then not coming back to it for six months. Once we start, we’re going to really go with this.”
The planned facility will contain a 30,000-square-foot community center that includes meeting rooms, a fitness area with cardio and resistance equipment and an elevated walking track.
A 35,000-square-foot gymnasium/multipurpose hall is also included in the building’s plans and will include courts that could be used for basketball, pickleball and volleyball. That floor space can also be used for large community events or business expos.
The indoor aquatic center will have 35,000 square feet and include a competition lap pool, a heated therapy pool and a kids play pool. The building will also include an outdoor aquatic play area with three different pools, water slides and a lazy river.
The parks improvement plan also includes improvements to Clysta Willett Park’s baseball facility, upgrades at the Keller Park softball complex, upgrades to the L.C. Sammons Youth Center, improvements to Cooper Park and converting the existing city pool into a splash pad.
Improvements are also planned for the Dr. Ray Stahl Soccer Complex and the dog park at Keller Park. All of the parks would receive new playground equipment and the setup for an RV park would be added to Clysta Willett Park.
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