Ottawa sets Sept. 23 public hearing for proposed $10.75M community center with pool

The Ottawa City Commission unanimously authorized publication of a public hearing notice for Sept. 23 to gather public input on a proposed community center at Forest Park and to submit a CDBG pre-application that could include an aquatic center.

City Manager Maddy described the grant opportunity as an accelerated window through the Kansas Department of Commerce and the CDBG "Blueprint to Build" program and provided a preliminary cost estimate. "An estimated cost of this project would be 10,750,000 with a $4,000,000 maximum CDBG request, ultimately with a $6,750,000 local match," Maddy told the commission, adding that the figures are preliminary and could change with additional design and engineering work.

Maddy said the proposal is not a final design and that the public hearing is an early step to collect feedback before a full application. She noted the city has been conducting a low-to-moderate-income (LMI) survey to confirm eligibility; consultant Garrett Nordstrom of Governmental Assistant Services reported the survey is substantially complete and that the city should clear the LMI threshold necessary to apply.

Commissioners discussed design concerns (including whether the pool should have more lanes to retain competitive swimming) and emphasized community partnerships. Commissioner Allen said the chance "for us to receive millions of dollars or someone being willing to give us millions of dollars towards a pool" is rare and supported scheduling the hearing. The pre-application is due Sept. 20, the full application is due Oct. 16, and staff said an award, if received, would likely be announced in December 2026 with a projected project completion target of Dec. 31, 2028.

The action authorized publication of the Sept. 23 public hearing notice and submission of the required CDBG pre-application; commissioners approved the motion by voice vote.