City of College Park Recreation/Aquatic Center Feasibility Study

Project Location: College Park, Georgia
Completion Date: 2018

The City of College Park hired Sizemore Group to develop a feasibility study for a new community center facility with indoor aquatics at 2475 Riverdale Road, College Park. The process entailed a thorough community input process which consisted of: three community meetings, stakeholder interviews, a focus group meeting, and a community survey. 

With this information, the consultant team developed facility programming concepts, identified funding and partnership opportunities, and developed preliminary construction and operation cost estimates. The program verification process sets the stage for the next two phases of work: the design of the facility and its construction.

For this phase of work, Sizemore Group provided an input and needs assessment via a community input process, facility and programming verification, a funding and partnership assessment, preliminary construction and operational cost estimates, and overall direction and management.

The process of developing this feasibility study included four steps. The first step was to establish the work plan and participants and outline the working assumptions and goals. 

The second step was to review existing facilities in and around the City of College Park and program data. This process also included engaging the community to evaluate community needs for a community center with indoor aquatics. Engagement included a community survey distributed to the entire City of College Park, a community introduction meeting, two community open houses, and interviews with the Mayor and Council. 

The third step was to conduct a focus group meeting with the City of College Park Recreation and Cultural Arts Department in order to develop program requirements for spaces and the site based on results and feedback from community input and existing facilities’ needs. 

The final phase focused on documenting the findings from the community meetings, community survey, and focus group meeting and developing concept design options with preliminary cost of construction estimates and potential funding and partnership opportunities.

Based on the results from the community survey, 95 percent of respondents support a community center with indoor aquatics, indicating that they would use a community center with aquatics at least once per year.