By Bridget Thoreson
Journal Times | Posted: Wednesday, August 6, 2008 12:00 am
STURTEVANT - A multimillion-dollar proposal for a new sports complex in Mount Pleasant was introduced Tuesday.
About 85 people attended a two-hour long strategic planning meeting at the Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation, 2320 Renaissance Blvd. No formal action was taken at the meeting which several village committees and boards attended.
"Our hope is to encourage a dialogue without the necessity of a formal decision," said Village Administrator Mike
Andreasen.
Mike Bannon, owner of Razor Sharp Fitness, 7300 Washington Ave., described the plan for a Razor Sports complex next to the new proposed Village Hall at the meeting. The complex would be open to the public, for a fee.
The company would buy about 25 acres from the village site located off of 90th Street, north of Highway 20. Razor Sharp would build a 146,000-square-foot facility with outdoor and indoor areas,
including:
- Eight sand volleyball courts.
- Four tennis courts.
- Three softball fields and one baseball diamond.
- Two indoor soccer fields.
- An Olympic-size pool.
- An exhibition hall.
The project is expected to cost about $10 million and be completed by the late summer or early fall of 2010.
Bannon also described a planned 40,000-square-foot building on six acres at his current site. This family fitness center will have day-care facilities for 180 children, exercise machines for adults and children and a 20,000-square-foot water park with four water slides. The center would be open to the public.
The $3.5 million project is expected to be open by November or early December 2009.
"We believe there is a significant lack of family fitness in the Racine area," Bannon said. "We see that this becomes a critical component of quality of life here, not only for the people that are currently living here, but for the people that we want to entice to come here and live in our community."
One audience member asked whether Mount Pleasant residents would receive any benefits at the complex; Bannon replied that they were working out those details.
Ruth Gedwardt, 5815 16th St., said she thought the complex would bring people to the area.
"I think it's very exciting and I think it's something that's really needed," she said.
Other topics covered Tuesday included ongoing road construction projects and both residential and commercial
developments.
Just west of the proposed sports complex, the initial plan for the 92-acre proposed village hall complex is under way, Andreasen said. The approximately 35,000-square-foot village hall would include a large multipurpose auditorium.
In the question-and-answer session following the presentations, residents asked about topics such as the specific placement of roads, and plans for village parks.
For the most part, officials answered that the plans were conceptual and certain specifics weren't determined.
The proposals discussed Tuesday have to be approved by the village.
"These are conceptual ideas that were brought forward this evening," Andreasen said. "All of these events that we put in front of you will begin the process of going through committee over the next weeks and months."