Residents take a look at sports centers in Centralia, Highland

Bill Grimes

More than 30 Effingham-area residents went on a road trip Friday to tour recreation centers in Centralia and Highland. City officials sponsored the bus trip to give people an idea of what the proposed Effingham Community Sports Center might contain.

The Centralia Recreation Center was built for $6.2 million in 1995. Director Sonya Germann said the center was built and is operated with community donations — including three gifts of $1 million each at the outset.

Germann said the center is governed by a Recreation Center Board, which is in turn overseen by the Centralia Foundation board. The center has an annual operating budget of about $600,000, including $335,000 in payroll expenses alone.

The 60,000-square-foot center includes a six-lane competition pool, a water slide into a shallow pool, a hot tub and observation deck.

The center also includes a full gymnasium, which can be partitioned for different events at the same time. A 12-lap-per-mile running track goes around the gym on what would otherwise be the second floor of the building.

Germann said one drawback of the gym is its wood floor.

“I would not put down a wood floor again,” she said. “We can’t do anything like roller hockey on it, and we have to cover it every time we have an event.”

The Centralia center hosts events such as annual bridal and home shows.

The center also includes a fitness room with treadmills, stationary bikes and small barbells. In addition, an “activity room” is used for aerobics.

Germann said the center has definitely become a development asset in economically depressed Centralia.

“This is one of the first places they bring people,” she said.

The group then traveled to Highland, where the Korte Recreation Center sits in the midst of athletic fields on the edge of town. This center was built for $6.3 million and opened in 2001.

The Highland Area Community Foundation originally owned the center, but the City of Highland took ownership in 2003 after interest rates went down and the project was refinanced. A $5.39 million bond is being repaid through a sales tax increase.

The Korte Center includes a recreation pool with two water slides, a lazy river, a two-lane lap pool and a hot tub.

The gym includes a hardwood floor suitable primarily for basketball and volleyball, as well as an overhead track. The 41,800-square-foot building also includes a day care, a game room and large fitness area with weights, treadmills and stationary bikes.

Facility Manager Dee Berry said the center’s annual budget is $655,000.

Berry said there are several things Effingham should do with their center to avoid some of the problems Highland has had.

“Do it right the first time,” Berry said.

Highland has replaced its plaster pool floor with a substance known as pebblesheen that is supposed to last more than twice as long as plaster.

Berry also cautioned against stainless steel partitions in the locker rooms.

“They are hard to maintain and they look bad when they are not maintained,” she said. “Use a plastic composite instead.”

Berry also said she wishes her building had a central intercom system so that everyone in the building could learn about storm warnings at the same time.

Like Centralia’s Germann, Berry said the Highland center has become a economic development tool.

“This is the first place realtors bring somebody buying a house here,” she said, adding having the center seems to cut down on misbehaving youngsters.

“If kids are in here, they are not out in the parks causing trouble,” she said.

Area residents generally felt the tour was informative.

“It helped us visualize what they (city officials) have been talking about,” said Kaye Kimpling of Effingham. “I could see what it could be for Effingham.”

But Kimpling said she would like city officials to consider fitness areas similar to those in both Centralia and Highland.

“I think they are missing the boat by not including a full-service fitness facility,” she said.

Mayor John Lange said plans have not included a fitness center out of consideration for existing fitness-oriented businesses.

“We don’t want to put anybody out of business,” Lange said.

Lange said he was pleased with attendance at Friday’s tour, but would have liked to have had more.

“Maybe they will come over on their own time,” Lange said. “A lot of people here have not been very interested in what the city of Effingham is trying to do. Hopefully, seeing these buildings first hand will open some eyes. This tour was just another way for the city to make sure the residents understand what we are doing.”

But former city commissioner Don Eden said there’s still a lot of unanswered questions.

“How are we going to pay for this?” Eden asked. “There’s a lot of things we haven’t heard about.”

Eden also pointed out neither Centralia nor Highland had an indoor ice rink, something planned for the Effingham facility.

“We needed to go somewhere where they had an ice rink,” he said. “But at least we’re getting some information.”

Effingham County Board member Leonard Waldhoff said the tour reinforced his belief the sports center was a good idea for Effingham.

“This would be good for the city and good for the area,” Waldhoff said.

Effingham Unit 40 Athletic Director David Woltman said the tour showed what Effingham could potentially have.

“I personally feel like it would be a good thing for the community,” Woltman said. “Anything we can do to get kids involved at any age is a good thing.”

Area resident Larry Banbury said the tour gave him something to mull over.

“I have a better idea of what they are talking about,” Banbury said. “It was just vague ideas before.”

But Banbury said he was concerned fees at the Effingham facility would be too much for low-income residents.

“Are poor people going to be able to afford it?” he asked.

However, city officials have said that no one will be turned away from using the facility because of inability to pay. Low-income residents will be able to discreetly apply for passes that will allow them to use the facility at reduced fees or for no charge.

City residents will have a chance to vote on whether or not the Effingham sports center is a good idea in a nonbinding referendum on Feb. 5.

Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.

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