The City of Pella requested $5 million in funding from the Pella Community School District for the proposed rec center at this week’s Pella School Board meeting.

Pella Mayor Don DeWaard and City Administrator Mike Nardini were joined by Billie Rhamy of Vermeer and Nicolle Picray of Pella Corporation to present the overall plans for the building, which will receive additional consideration from the Pella City Council at the March 7th meeting.

FULL AUDIO PRESENTATION:

The ask comes for the schools to support two projects within the facility that cost $10.5 million — an eight lane competition swimming pool and a bike trail extension connecting Caldwell Park to the Pella Sports Park — which would be in front of Pella High School, Madison Elementary, and the new Early Childhood Center if approved along University Street.

During the presentation, Mayor DeWaard revealed the total cost of the project as proposed now is $50.5 million, with the goal of $17.5 million coming from private sources and the rest funded publicly by the City of Pella. The City is going to make a request to Marion County and State of Iowa to make up some of the difference. As of Monday, approximately $30 million has been pledged so far from a combination of private and public donors — with $17 million coming from extension of the Local Option Sales and Service Tax last fall and the rest from Pella Corporation and Vermeer, among other corporate partners.

Pella School Board members responded with excitement for the project, but were also concerned with the price requested, especially since the district is in the process of working through a $40 million bond proposal passed in November 2021 and the total cost for facilities upgrades approaching $52 million. The Pella School Board would ultimately have to approve any money that would go toward the rec center project.