Community Center

Ely Community Center

(previously referred to as Municipal Complex)

 

This project went to a referendum vote of the residents on November 7, 2023 and did not pass.

 

Library, Recreation, City Facilities

 

Community Center Design Back of Community Center

Ely is growing and the expectation for more amenities and services is on the rise. A municipal complex helps Ely position itself to expand our library facilities, provide additional recreation services, provide a safe place for meeting and community business. The Ely Library has been working on an expansion plan for nearly 7 years. The land that was chosen as the primary site became unavailable last year, however the City Hall location is a viable option. Currently, the cost of making the existing City Hall building ADA compliant, bringing the HVAC up to code, and mitigating the inner roof structure is nearly 1 million dollars. The community has also expressed the desire to have some type of a recreational facility in the community, so there can be expanded recreation services for people of all ages. Taking all of this into consideration, a committee was formed to explore the possibility of a multiuse facility in Ely.

A Municipal Complex will provide additional services currently not available in Ely, such as recreation facilities, updated city hall facilities, additional learning spaces and community spaces.
The goal is for city hall services and the library to be able to keep up with the demands of our growing community. It would will allow for a one-stop shop experience. It is intended to provide further community building, and expanding opportunities for neighbors to meet each other.

The outcome of the facility will be in the hands of the community and the decision to pay for/build the facility will be determined by the community as well.

The current City Hall location has some very positive aspects to it. For example, the city currently owns the property, ease of accessibility and visibility, current access to city utilities, proximity to the downtown area, and a new parking lot has recently been installed next to the location.

There is a community-based team working on this project, and the final decision will be made by a vote of the residents of Ely to approve of this project. An extensive fundraising campaign is planned to be conducted to raise as much funds as possible. A large portion of the project will likely be funded through property taxes by a referendum/vote of residents. The group is working on a schedule to have this project on the ballet in November of 2023.

Informational Pop-Up Events

Pop Up Event Calendar

Community Center Floor Plan

Community Center Floor Plans

To download the floor plan as a PDF, click here.

 

Project FAQ's

  1. What are we voting on in November?
    1. The vote in November is a bond referendum where residents are asked to approve an issuance of a bond to fund a portion of the new Community Center project. It is anticipated that the bond referendum amount would not exceed $7 million. At this bond amount, it is anticipated that property taxes will increase approximately $25 - $40 a month depending on the value of your property.
  2. What is a municipal bond?
    1. A municipal bond is a way for state and local governments to raise money for local projects that may not generate a revenue stream. Municipal bonds are paid back with sources of revenue that don't come from the project such as property taxes, local option sales tax, tax increment financing, road use tax, etc.
  3. How much would the referendum increase taxes?
    1. It is anticipated that the bond referendum amount would not exceed $7 million. At this bond amount, it is anticipated that property taxes will not increase more than $25 - $40 a month depending on the value of your property.
  4. When would residents start paying this?
    1. Residents will not see the increase in property taxes until the bonds are sold. In order for the bonds to be sold, we need to complete the gap funding process and insure that the project is fully funded before the bonds are sold. The funding process would include donations, fundraising and grant writing. This process takes time.
    2. A bond being sold is similar to taking out a loan.
    3. Payment on the bond would not begin until the following year after the funding gap has been completed.
  5. If I am paying higher taxes, do I still need to pay to use this facility?
    1. No, tax paying residents would not need to pay to use this facility. Households will have the opportunity to sign up for free memberships/access to the Community Center and will be given 24/7 access cards for areas such as the walking track, gym and fitness area. The Community Center will have monitoring systems for after hour use and children under a certain age will not be allowed to be unaccompanied by an adult. Other users of the gym who are not tax paying residents who need to pay for their membership or use of the facility.
  6. What is the funding gap between the cost of the project and the referendum total?
    1. The maximum amount that the bond referendum will be for is $7 million. The funding gap between that amount and the project cost would need to be raised through donations, fundraising and grant writing. For example, if the project cost is $12 million, there would a $5 million funding gap that would need to be completed BEFORE the project could move forward and before the bonds would be sold. This is when residents would begin paying the the bond (loan), not before.
  7. What happens if the vote passes, but we do not complete the gap in funding?
    1. There is a 2-4 year time limit on completing the funding gap after the referendum is passed. Within this window, if we are unable to complete this gap in funding, we would need to re-scope the project to reduce the cost to fit within the funds available. If we are unable to complete this, a new bond referendum would have to be voted on by residents.
  8. What happens if the vote does not pass?
    1. If the referendum vote does not pass, the committee working on this would regroup to amend the scope of the project in preparation for a new referendum vote for residents.
    2. A referendum vote can only take place in November, every other year, on odd years.

Step by Step Project Process

  1. Completed Items:
    1. Library Expansion Community Input
    2. Downtown Master Planning
    3. Community Center Community Input
    4. Library & City Hall Building Evaluations
    5. Facility floor plan planning & design
    6. Space needs evaluation (library, city hall, recreation components)
    7. Public Forums/Open House
    8. 3D Design Renderings
    9. Preliminary Engineering & Planning
  2. To be Completed:
    1. Referendum Vote (November)
    2. Complete Funding Gap: Fundraising/Grant Writing
    3. Final Design and Construction Documents
    4. Bond Sale
    5. Project Bidding
    6. Begin Construction (18 - 24 month construction window)
    7. Facility Opens

What Will we Gain

 

Identified Needs Flyer

Important Documents:

Municipal Complex Updates:

  • Community Center (previously Municipal Complex) Public Forum #2 - Tuesday June 6, 2023
  • Committee Worked Extensively on a concept based on Community Survey results - January - May
  • Council Review Survey Results - January 9, 2023
  • Public Input Survey - Closed December 9, 2022
  • Public Q & A Meeting: November 1, 2022 @ 6pm - St. John's Lutheran Church
  • The online public input survey will be available in early November, 2022 (see link above)
  • Potential Project Schedule:
    Community Input: July 2022 – November 2022
    Design Renderings: November 2022 – December 2022
    Feasibility and funding study: December 2022 – February 2023
    Referendum Vote: November 2023
    Final design and construction docs: January 2024 – June 2024
    Bidding: July 2024
    Construction: September 2024 – December 2025 Early 2026
    Opening: Early 2026

 

Who can I contact with additional questions?

Eldy Miller, City Administrator, cityadmin@elyiowa.com

Sarah Sellon, Library Director, sarah@elyiowa.com

Callie Stulz-O’Brien, Director of Parks & Recreation,  callie@elyiowa.com

Municipal Complex Survey Announcement