By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Recreation District #16 has hit the ground running with the initial report being released to the public in a Tuesday meeting at the SMH Founder’s Building.
Recreation District #16 was created by the St. Tammany Parish Council in 2009, but didn’t do much until a seven-member board was appointed in 2011. The group began meeting over two years ago and have been working on a plan that would initially build what they hope to be a “world-class sports facility” in the Slidell area.
The report released on Tuesday by Ballard*King based in Highlands Ranch, Co., showed overwhelming interest in local youth sports groups wanting more facilities, especially when it came to local teams wanting to host tournaments.
While all the research seems to point to an easy decision of “build it,”?the Rec. Dist. #16 board will be proposing a millage for citizens to pay for such a facility. The initial budget is being set at $20 million, which is just a starting point. The amount of the millage is still yet to be determined.
After Rec. Dist. #16 raised $75,000 and hired top-rated consulting firms, Ballard*King and FLWB Architects, the board for Recreation District #16 presented its findings.
“From now until 2018, sports participation is expected to grow here, so the demand for more facilities will increase even more,” Ken Ballard with Ballard*King said.
The market conclusion showed that the population of this district can support a number of facilities that are already in operation, and that all the current youth organizations need more facilities.
The Slidell area is unique in that virtually all little league sports are headed by private organizations. Hewitt said they want to be very clear that the goal of the Rec. District is not to replace those leagues in any way.
“We are here to support those leagues and provide more facilities, since most of us on this board believe we need more places for the kids to play,” Hewitt said.
The researchers talked with numerous members of the Slidell?Youth Football Association, Slidell?Bantam Baseball Association, Slidell Youth Soccer Club, Slidell?Tennis Association, Hurricane Swim Club, the City of Slidell, and St. Tammany?Parish schools. All agreed there is a need for a large, central town facility.
Currently, there are 53,572 people in Rec. Dist. #16, which comprises most of unincorporated areas of eastern St. Tammany Parish, but there are 91,618 people when including the city populations, according to the study. With the median income being slightly higher than the rest of the state, residents of Rec. Dist. #16 spend 10 percent more money for entertainment and recreation than the national average, thus showing that Slidell residents are willing to pay for things of that nature.
The Rec. Dist. #16 board will be speaking to groups throughout the summer to hear opinions, address concerns, and educate the public on the possibility of such a facility.