Bozeman seeks public input for new community center

Bozeman is a city on the rise — population-wise, that is. With the explosion of residents moving here, the city is hoping to open a new community center. On Thursday, Jan. 19, an open house at the Bozeman Public Safety Center showcased what the proposed center may include: a branch library, an aquatics center and resources for year-round indoor recreation.

“We’ve been very intentional about signaling that this is something that we’d like to see come sooner than later,” said Jon Henderson, the strategic services director for the city of Bozeman.

Henderson said the idea for a new community center dates back to 2012. Within the last 2-3 years the project has been highlighted as part of the Bozeman 2020 Community Plan, which guides further growth and development in Bozeman.

“That’s the way that we help put our budget together, the way that we help inform our priorities and our long-range strategy as a community,” he said.

As Bozeman’s population has increased, the city found it crucial to make access to community services equitable for all. “[The new community center] is going to fill an immediate need that we have for learning to swim, safe places to recreate, and access to library materials in an area of town that is rapidly growing,” Henderson said.

The city is mostly considering locations for the center-west of 19th Avenue, he said, where Bozeman’s growth is concentrated.

The project is still in its early stages, so cost, design and location are yet to be determined. The city will use public input from residents and community organizations, such as school districts, to develop the budget and concept for the project.

The cost estimates are primarily based on what the public wants the facility to include. “Once we put things together and try to prioritize and live within our means, we can have a better picture of what those true costs might be,” Henderson said.

The measure to approve the budget and the community center building would be added to the November ballot. “We [will] work with the public to put together a design that we can be proud of and we feel meets the needs of the community and then we go before the city commission in June or July and present them with bond language that we would like to put on that November ballot,” Henderson said.

The next step will be to come up with two to four alternatives, which will be presented to the community. Public input will help prioritize what the community needs, and a preferred alternative will be presented to the city commission.

The new community center would not replace services already available in Bozeman, such as the public library.

“This would be a branch library, this is not at all intended to be a replacement, it’s really a compliment,” said Henderson.

The new facilities would work together with existing facilities, he said. For example, the current swim center could be used more for competition, while the new facility could be used more for recreational swimming.

“We’re meeting with a wide range of constituents: local swim groups, book clubs, as many people as we can reach, in this stage of the process so that we can come back and collectively put as much information as we can together,” Henderson said. “We are incredibly deficient in having points in the city that folks can access.”

MSU students and faculty are also encouraged to include their input. “We very much believe that the university and its students and faculty are woven into the fabric of our community,” he said.

The project also strives to adhere to Bozeman’s climate plan, as sustainability is a key focus. That includes using responsible building materials and prioritizing energy efficiency, Henderson said.

“If we are successful with the vote, and we’re lucky enough to build a facility like this, we can strengthen our community relationships and neighborhoods, resiliency in that regard, and have a lot of potential in helping grow our community from a connections standpoint.”

To learn more about the Bozeman Community Center or provide input through a survey, visit engage.bozeman.net/community.