The City of Sioux Falls is moving forward with plans to purchase the Sanford Wellness Center, located at 8701 W. 32nd St.
The Sioux Falls City Council voted 6-2 Tuesday in favor of the $9 million purchase, which will include roof and parking lot repairs and an estimated additional $3 million in ADA-related improvements.
With this purchase, the city will gain 70,000 square feet of recreational space, including an additional pool.
The need for additional indoor space, including indoor swimming, has been raised in multiple public inquiries and future swimming considerations. He recommended one of the indoor options at Frank Olson Park, even though the city favored adding indoor water on the west side due to budget constraints.
With the offer from Sanford Health, “This was a tremendous opportunity for us to make indoor recreation a priority for our community,” said Treasurer Sean Pritchett. He called the purchase “pennies on the dollar compared to what we’re worth.” ” From the appraised value he will have to build at a 40% reduction.
The Sanford Wellness building originally opened in 2006 under the Sioux Falls Family YMCA in partnership with Sanford Health and transitioned fully to Sanford about 10 years later.
Pritchett said the city plans to use it for a wide range of indoor, health and wellness-related programming.
The building currently includes:
- performance area
- Zero depth pool with slide
- cycling studio
- swirl
- sauna
- sauna
- racquetball court
- Basketball courts, college and high school court sizes
- cardio and weight equipment
- running/walking track
- children’s room
A majority of City Council members approved the agreement, although several council members said they wanted to ensure the city did not offer programs that competed with existing privately owned fitness centers.
“Indoor recreation, in my opinion, is very different from a fitness center, and that’s what we’re going to continue to strive for,” Councilman Kurt Saul said. “I think this is a good deal.”
Councilman Greg Neitzart, who lives near the wellness center off Ellis Street and is a member, was one of two votes against the purchase.
“The pool is very small. It’s very small. It’s a small part of a very large building,” he said. “If you’re looking for water, with all due respect, that’s not your choice.”
He said residents in the area can almost afford to buy fitness center memberships if they’re looking for that kind of experience, and when residents learned of the potential deal, they heard from neighbors. He added that he received “a collective yawn.”
“I think we’re just fixated on getting it at a fire sale price,” he says.
Councilman Rich Mercouris compared the purchase to other investments in the city’s parks system that are considered additive to the Sioux Falls resident experience.
“I think this is a good investment of taxpayer dollars because park systems are critical to healthy communities,” he said, adding that when it comes to determining the type of fitness programs and associated fees, “I believe in us as a people. “I have,” he added. Organizations could draw the line on appropriate policies in this regard. ”
The city will actually take possession of the building later this year. Sanford Wellness members’ memberships will remain active until they are presented with a transfer option. Sanford plans to continue leasing space in the building for its physical therapy program and plans to expand its wellness center at 4201 S. Oxbow Ave., including repairs to locker rooms and pools and other facility updates. It will be maintained and updated.
The city is scheduled to vote on the remaining plans for the pool, replacements for Frank Olson Park and Kuehn Park, in September.
City postpones pool plan vote for four months
