The Craig City Council listened to a detailed presentation during its Jan. 27 meeting, during which the overall picture of the proposed Craig Sports Complex began to take definitive shape.
The project was described by presenters as a generational investment shaped by community input.
Representatives from Ohlson Lavoie Corporation and Ballard King & Associates presented information regarding phases one and two of a feasibility study that began eight months ago. The work included demographic analysis, public meetings, stakeholder outreach, surveys and concept-based design.
Ohlson Lavoie Corporation co-CEO Bob McDonald began the presentation by outlining the project’s overall vision and reading a statement that described the complex as a “legacy project” intended to serve Craig and surrounding communities in the region.
“This really is about creating something that reflects what the community asked for,” McDonald said.
McDonald was joined by his colleague Brian Beckler, who led the design and cost analysis work. Steve Bireley of Ballard King & Associates joined the meeting remotely. Darin Barr of Ballard King & Associates contributed to the overall market analysis and operational modeling completed during the study.
Bireley summarized the demographic and market research that informed the facility’s size and programming.
According to the study, Craig’s population was estimated to be just over 9,000, with a secondary service area of roughly 15,000 residents and a median age of 38. Survey participation far exceeded typical response rates, with 853 residents completing a survey over the course of an eight-week window.
The online survey was available in both English and Spanish.
The results, according to presenters, showed strong demand for indoor leisure swimming, drop-in gym use and youth leagues. Indoor walking and jogging were also frequently mentioned by survey participants in addition to opportunities for swim lessons. Indoor aquatics emerged as the most requested feature, and many respondents noted a preference for a zero-entry leisure pool and lap swimming opportunities.
Bireley said community engagement extended beyond surveys and included open houses, stakeholder meetings and informal gatherings at locations such as Prodigal Son’s Coffee.
Feedback from parents, seniors and local organizations also played a role in forming a community-based vision for the project.
Based on the survey’s findings, the proposed complex would include a leisure pool with a lazy river with zero-depth entry and a six-lane lap pool with diving capability. The gymnasium would have three basketball courts, which could also be utilized for volleyball and pickleball. A fitness center, group exercise rooms, elevated indoor walking and jogging track and multipurpose spaces for meetings and events are also part of the proposed design.
Operational projections presented by Ballard King & Associates estimate that first-year operating revenues of about $1.1 million would be offset by projected expenses of $2.7 million. After accounting for payroll costs that would shift from existing facilities, the net additional annual subsidy is projected at roughly $979,000. The cost recovery was estimated to be near 42 percent.
Bireley explained to the chamber that those figures were intentionally conservative.
Beckler then showed council members the site plan and architectural concept for the complex, which would be located at the southeast corner of Woodbury Park near Mack Lane and Second Street. The building will have parking shared between the new facility and existing parking areas at Woodbury Park.
The plan calls for 177 parking spaces as well as an entry plaza with drop-off access and room for future expansion to the north and south. Beckler said attention was given to traffic flow, emergency access and existing utility easements along the eastern edge of the proposed site.
The building would utilize natural light in the lobby, pools, gym and fitness areas, and Beckler noted that all major spaces will be linked, with aquatics on one side and gym on the other.
The second level will house the fitness floor, group exercise rooms and an indoor track above the gymnasium.
Beckler said preliminary cost estimates for the project place total construction costs between $47 million and $48 million. The estimate includes a 15% contingency and assumes a construction start date in 2026, though Beckler acknowledged that timeline is unlikely.
Following the presentation, council members asked questions about staffing, operating assumptions, soils conditions and how existing recreation facilities would factor into future budgets. Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Dennison also reviewed next steps in the project, including reviewing proposals from bond underwriters and selecting a public engagement firm to assist with community outreach and financial modeling ahead of a potential ballot measure.
Mayor John Nichols thanked the presenters for their work on the sports complex and said the council’s focus will now turn toward financing and public engagement.
“This was clearly driven by what people told you they wanted,” Nichols said. “Now it’s about making sure the community stays involved as we move forward.”
Beyond the discussion surrounding the sports complex, the council also took action on several other items.
Council approved submission of a grant application to the Department of Local Affairs Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund to support replacement of the city’s A sewer line. Water and Wastewater Director Carl Ray said the $1.67 million project addresses a known bottleneck caused by inadequate pipe slope and construction defects in a key section of the line that serves the west side of Craig.
The city is seeking to cover roughly half the cost through grant funding.
The council also approved Resolution No. 4, which adopts an expedited review policy for affordable housing projects. Building Official Marlin Eckhoff said the policy is required for eligibility under Colorado Proposition 123 housing funds, and leads to the establishment of 90-day review timelines once applications are complete.
The meeting concluded without further action on the sports complex, but council members noted that continued discussion and outreach will be key tenets as the city considers whether to place the project before voters later this year.
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