With a population of just over 6,300, Tiffin is one of the fastest growing communities in Iowa. Its rapid development has presented a number of needs for the community, including an indoor recreation center.

The city of Tiffin held two public input meetings on Nov. 12 and 20 to inform the community about the $10 million project. On display at the meetings were poster boards of the proposed floor plans and a virtual fly through video.

In 2019, Tiffin city council members expressed interest in the possibility of having a recreation center and decided to send out a community survey, Tiffin Recreation Director Frank Haege said.

“The community survey came out with high numbers — well into the 80s — that people were, one, interested in having a rec center, and two, willing to pay for it with some kind of known tax increase,” he said.

The project was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was reintroduced in August 2023. In September 2023, the city passed the Local Option Sales Tax, or LOST, which is the largest source of funding for the project.

“That kind of worked as the impetus to be able to finance the recreation center without having to do a levy or an increase in property taxes,” Haege said.

Other additional capital costs will be paid by Tax Increment Financing and general property taxes. At this time, the city does not plan to ask for public sponsorship. Instead, it operates on membership fees and possible corporate sponsorship.

“We think that those three mechanisms keep the tax levy at its current rate of $11.80,” Tiffin City Administrator Doug Boldt said. “We think that’s very attainable to build the facility and then whatever grants there may be. We are actively searching for grants.”

Haege said they plan to save funding like that for future expansions of the center.

ATURA Architecture, an architectural firm located in Clear Creek, Iowa, collaborated with the city to create the interior and exterior renderings and develop the recreation center in three separate phases, as well as find the ideal location for the building.

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Tiffin Mayor Tim Kasparek said two locations were considered — one next to Hawk Wash in Tiffin City Park and the other next to the soccer fields. Both potential locations were already owned by the city, and after consideration, the city officials chose the lot next to the soccer field.

The selected location raised several concerns, such as being located in a floodplain and the loss of part of the soccer fields.

Kasparek and Haege addressed the qualms, citing that the city is working closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the city engineer to raise the land with fill dirt and bring the site out of the floodplain. Haege said the loss of soccer field space is not an issue, as they still have plenty of fields.

Phase one of the center will include features like basketball courts, studio rooms, turf area, office space, showers, lockers, a concession stand, and an indoor track on the second level, Kasparek said.

Kasparek said the city will continue to develop a pool in phase two and a gym space in phase three, depending on community needs.

Clear Creek Amana School District Superintendent Corey Seymour said the school fully supports the project as it will be beneficial to the school, especially with the future addition of a pool.

“We are in support with the city to make this happen,” Seymour said. “The district is growing very rapidly, and we are actually running out of space in different places.”

The current swim teams at Clear Creek Amana middle and high schools have to drive half an hour to Williamsburg School District to practice in their facilities, he said. Haege said the center is designed to have something for everybody with a variety of children and senior programs and 24/7 access.

The timeline for breaking ground is expected to be summer or spring with a 16-18 month build period, aiming for an opening within two and a half years.

“We hope the rec center will be a mainstay of the community with a solid membership base,” Haege said.