Sports

Consultants unveil ambitious proposals for city rec facilities

More than 90 people turned out for the first of two presentations on recreation facility options on Tuesday.

By Bill Moss, Published: July 15, 2025

Bridge players, pickleball enthusiasts, swimmers, shuffleboarders and others packed the Kaplan Auditorium at the public library on Tuesday afternoon to get a first look at four proposals for the replacement of Helene-damaged recreation facilities ranging from relatively modest to very ambitious.

Presented by a consulting team made up of three engineering and design firms, the presentation is the latest step by the city  to map out a strategy to build new indoor and outdoor recreation spaces — either at Patton Park on Asheville Highway or the Whitmire Center on Lily Pond Road.

Although city residents and others who attended got a look at the proposals, including fancy color renderings, they got no chance to speak or ask questions — something that caused a bit of grumbling. (City officials had to wrap up the 4 o'clock presentation because an identical one started at 5.)

The presentation included no cost projections but it did come with a warning from Richard Shook, a city engineer, that the "very ambitious" options will be expensive. Because FEMA generally pays for the repair or replacement of public faciliites damaged in a natural disaster, the city expects that some part of the recreation rebuild will be covered. 

“One of the largest challenges will be the financial challenge of funding the project, especially with the large pools,” he said. “In order to fund it, we're going to need additional grants, FEMA reimbursement and potentially other partners to help fund the project. And if those grants don’t come through, or for some reason FEMA reimbursement doesn't materialize, or community partnerships aren't formed — if the city is the only organization funding it, there might be smaller versions of these projects, specifically the pool” options. 

After the city council on Feb. 28 formed overall goals for the recreation project, shareholder meetings were held with the Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Henderson County and Support our Swimmers, an organization trying to rally support for an indoor community pool. Interest in the topic is high. In May, 105 people turned out for a community engagement meeting; an online survey drew 1,175 respondents.

The Whitmire Center and Toms Park are on 2½ acres of city-owned land containing 50 parking spaces, 14 shuffleboard courts and a 3,200-square-foot rec center. Patton Park, an 18-acre site between Asheville Highway and Brittain Creek, contains a 50-meter eight-lane outdoor pool, a kiddie pool, tennis court, four pickleball courts, a baseball diamond, skate park, basketball court and walking trail.

Here are the four options consultants presented for the two sites:

• Whitmire Center 1A: A 12,000-square-foot building with restrooms on the Toms Park walking trail, playground, a “flex lawn” suitable for various activities and stream restoration.
• Whitmire Center 1B: Trail restrooms, playground, flex lawn, picnic area and shuffleboard courts. This options includes no building; the rec center would move to Patton Park.
• Patton Park 2A: A 71,800-square-foot indoor aquatic center with 50-meter pool, 5-lane warm water wellness pool, event space and concessions; “pump track” bicycle park, playground, walking trail restrooms.
• Patton Park 2B: An indoor-outdoor aquatic center with a 17,000-square-foot outdoor pool with lazy river and splash deck and 34,500-square-foot indoor pool with a 25-yard pool, 3-lane warm water wellness pool and event seating; a 20,000-square-foot rec center with a large flex space, concessions, exercise studio, playground, skate park, pump track, walking trail restrooms.

Bill Ramsey, a leader of the Support Our Swimmers group, strongly preferred the 50-meter indoor pool option to the indoor-outdoor option and 25-yard pool.

"It's certainly not a competition pool, because high schools couldn't use it, not for legitimate competition," he said. "The 50-meter pool is capable of attracting major competition, which will bring tremendous tourist and outside competition to the community."