Signal Mountain Town Hall (Staff photo by Shane Foley)When town of Signal Mountain officials discuss solutions for the Mountain Arts Community Center during their Nov. 3 council work session, they will be keeping more than just the MACC in mind.
One of the council’s plans to save the MACC’s programs could also resolve the town’s need for additional gym space.
Among the scenarios being considered for the MACC’s future is one in which the current Town Hall is repurposed for the MACC’s programs and a new town hall is constructed elsewhere. If the town chooses this option, the gym adjoining the current Town Hall would be turned into a performance venue and meeting space, giving the council the opportunity to address the issue of limited gym space by building a larger gymnasium elsewhere.
“If we’re going to spend $4 million to $6 million we need to solve more than just the MACC problem,” said Councilman Chris Howley.
Though the gym currently houses games and practices for the town’s recreational basketball league, officials have noted the need for improvement. The gym has little room aside from the court, which Town Manager Boyd Veal said has made hosting basketball games and providing comfortable seating for parents a problem.
“It’s a good gym, it functions, but it does have its limitations,” Veal said.
If a new gym is constructed, it will have two full-sized courts, expanded restroom facilities, more space around the parameter of the courts for improved safety and functionality, and additional space between the two courts for movable bleachers.
Though Veal said there is no concrete price tag for the construction of a new gym as of yet, he estimated it could cost around $800,000, adding that gymnasiums are one of the less expensive structures to build.
Possible locations for construction are still being determined as options for the MACC are being discussed, but Veal said one possible location is Timberlinks Drive, which is already the site of other town recreational fields. If the gym is constructed there, it could be placed on available property physically unable to be used for field space but more ideal for infrastructure.
THE NEED
Though the overall need for additional recreational space has been an ongoing concern for officials and residents alike, Howley said the need for a new gym is more pressing than most.
With more than 450 boys and girls signed up to play next year, basketball is town’s the largest recreational league. Unlike other league sports, however, the games are held indoors, which significantly limits the space available.
In addition to the town’s gym, the league has been holding games in the gymnasiums adjoining Thrasher Elementary, Nolan Elementary and Signal Mountain Middle/High School, but with the schools having to pay staff to supervise activity when its doors are open, Howley said the county could discontinue that service.
“Right now, we’re kind of at the mercy of the county,” said Howley, referencing the fact that the schools are county-funded. “They’ve been kind enough to let us use the high school gyms on occasion, but we really only have one gym as a town.”
With the town gym’s single court and the limited size, revoking access to the school gyms could spell disaster for the league.
“You’re going to have to start turning whole age groups away,” Howley said, “and I would not like to see that happen.”
Veal said a new, larger gym would give the town the comfort of knowing that they have reasonable facilities to accommodate needs of the basketball league if the school gymnasiums become unavailable.
“It’s not the most pressing thing facing the city,” Howley added, “but it is an issue.”
Whether a gym is constructed in tandem with the MACC project or not, Veal said the lack of gym space is an issue that the town will eventually have to address, and researching the cost associated with construction now will prepare officials for future conversations if a gym must be built independently.
Further discussion on all possible options for the MACC will continue during the Nov. 3 work session at 11:30 a.m., which community members may attend. The officials will present the cost of new construction for the MACC and begin the process that will eventually lead to a decision for the MACC. Citizen input is welcome at the meeting.