MERIDIAN, Idaho — The City of Meridian shared initial design plans last week for its new community center project coming to Settlers Park.
Settlers Park is currently 58 acres with sports courts, open field space and a playground.
In April, the city bought an additional 11 acres that sits directly west of Settlers Park, near the baseball fields.
The land was owned by the West Ada School District for the last 20 years. The district's plan was to build a new elementary school on the property.
Earlier this year, plans for the property changed and the school district sold it to the city for a little more than $4 million. The city in April announced it would use the property to build a new community center.
"We've been looking for the right home for a new community center for several years," Meridian Parks and Recreation Director Steve Siddoway told KTVB. "There's so many things about this location that are just perfect for a community center like this."
Siddoway said the opportunity to expand Settlers Park made the property the perfect purchase.
The city already has an existing community center at 201 East Idaho Avenue, but Siddoway said they have outgrown that space.
"It's basically, you know, a single room with a little offshoot, and it is heavily programmed," Siddoway said. "The type of community center that we will build here will just open up a whole lot of new opportunities for our community."
He added the city also owns that property and it will eventually come down. He said the city has different plans for the property, but couldn't share what those are yet.
Recreation, dog parks, and more
In addition to the community center – which will offer a variety of fitness and recreation – the city also plans to add additional open green space, a two-section dog park and another playground on the property.
Meridian resident Cathy Adams told KTVB she was happy to hear about the new area for dogs. She already brings her furry friend, Pete, to Settlers Park to run around in the open space.
Adams looks forward to having a space where Pete can play with other dogs.
"That would be a gift for the people with animals and dogs that come here," Adams told KTVB on Tuesday. "That would be an amazing thing."
Adams currently travels around town to other dog parks, but Settlers Park is closest to her home and will be an easier commute to a dog park when it opens.
Siddoway said the campus layout will allow the city to provide an easy flow of indoor to outdoor activity. The plan is to have classes, programs and camps at the new center, according to Siddoway.
He added that the area has a bit of a parking problem, where overflow sometimes find its way into nearby neighborhoods. The city plans to add more than 300 parking stalls to try and eliminate the overflow issue, Siddoway said.
Siddoway couldn't share cost estimates for the project yet. He said next steps are gathering community input and getting approval of final design plans.
He added that the construction of this project will be fully funded by impact fees the city collects from building permits, which means taxpayers won't be paying for the build.
The city is holding an Informational Open House for the new community center from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 at Meridian City Hall, located at 33 East Broadway Avenue.
Siddoway said the open house is drop-in style and people can come and go as they please.