Properly Identifying Your Market in Addressing Revenue Goals

The number of members that a small-market community recreation center may draw generally has a direct connection to fewer revenue opportunities. Affluent communities—with more resources available to pay higher membership fees and have higher membership totals—are the exception. Higher revenue in a small-market community recreation center is achievable, but good planning must be a part of the process. By conducting market research, a community can identify competitors, allowing them to gauge appropriate membership fees, programs, and services.

Understanding Concerns Related to Limited Funding and Local Opposition

Limited funds sometimes result in the need for a tax increase approved by community voters. This may open the door to local opposition from the private sector, school district, other public providers, special interest groups, and elected officials. Reducing local opposition by understanding their concerns and turning them into support is vital to success. Cultivating strategic partnerships within the community may involve:

• Partnering with a local healthcare provider to create a fitness center that also serves as a cardiac rehabilitation center
• Using private investors to fund amenities in community centers, golf courses, and other facilities in return for their ability to operate the facility for a prescribed number of years before it reverts to agency ownership

The success of constructing a recreation center may ultimately depend on the community deeming it a priority. Involving them in a public process is critical to implementing a successful capital improvement project.

Supporting the Need of a Large Boundary: Multiple Community Agency and Local Competition

Agencies that reach beyond their community are defined as having large boundaries, which may overlap into adjacent communities. These agencies typically have two reoccurring problems:

• Residents paying taxes to more than one recreation agency
• Providing recreation for everyone equally and fairly in the eyes of those served

Work with local government officials and housing developers to investigate the possibility of constructing smaller and less expensive facilities, eliminating the need for taxpayer financial support. Also consider developing a public/private partnership. The public agency may own the land and the building with a long-term lease that enables a private agency to pay for the construction and jointly operate the facility.

Identifying Available Land

Having the appropriate amount of land available for a new recreation center is a challenge that affects both urban and suburban areas. It's important to strive for environmental conservation, channeling planned improvements to lie within existing infrastructure to preserve habitat and natural resources.

Investigate adaptive reuse of existing facilities. A school should be a first choice because they are designed to support classroom learning, provide administrative offices, and include the workhorse of all program spaces—a gymnasium.

Lastly, don't just think of one facility to serve all of your recreation needs. Consider several smaller facilities that may offer different programs and activities. Bigger is not always better. Sometimes, smaller decentralized facilities complement a community. Patrons will determine the success for your facility and understanding how they define success should be a part of the big idea.