The city of Folsom issued the following news release:
The City of Folsom is now the owner of the Folsom Sports Complex. Escrow closed today on the 61,000-square-foot gymnasium and recreation center located on Clarksville Road.
The facility, which opened in January 2004, was constructed by JRC Development and features basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor soccer field, batting cages and a pitching training mound, an arcade, classrooms, kitchen facilities and a snack bar. The 4.3 acre landscaped site has 175 parking spaces and is adjacent to John Kemp Community Park.
'Acquiring this outstanding facility meets the City's current and future indoor recreation needs and provides a tremendous benefit for the community, especially our youth,' says Parks and Recreation Director Robert Goss.
The arcade area will be converted into a teen center oriented to high school-age teenagers. The teen center will feature day-time, evening and weekend activities intended to appeal to a range of interests. Local teens are helping to design the teen center.
An indoor community sports facility and gymnasium has been part of the City's Parks and Recreation master plan since 1988. Acquisition of the City's first gymnasium and community recreation center has been the highest priority of the Parks and Recreation Commission. The facility was also ranked as a high priority project during the City Council's 2005 strategic planning sessions.
'The $6.5 million price tag and terms of the sale made the purchase very attractive,' said Goss. 'The owner of JRC Development, local resident Jim Carlsen, agreed to a sales price of $6.5 million. That's $2 million less than the appraised value, which is a huge savings.'
The terms of the purchase include $3 million down and $3.5 million to be paid to Carlsen over seven years with no interest. Funds to purchase the facility come from the recent sale of the City's Willow Springs property, unanticipated park funds realized after several development properties were rezoned from commercial to residential, cash on hand and current fiscal year appropriations.
Goss also pointed out that several local organizations are providing financial support. The Folsom Youth Basketball League committed $20,000 toward the development of a sponsorship trust account. The Folsom Athletic Association (FAA) also received $10,000 from Kaiser Permanente for this purpose, bringing the total to $30,000. The funds will be used for renovations, maintenance activities or facility upgrades. The FAA also committed $5,000 to help cover the cost of converting the arcade area into a teen center room, including items such as furniture, entertainment/media equipment and interior graphics.
'Building and operating the Folsom Sports Complex has been a fun and rewarding adventure for my wife Beth and me,' said Carlsen. 'It has been great to see so many people enjoy the facility. We are confident that the City will do a great job running the complex and it will be nice to know the City will now have one of the best recreation centers in the area to complement our awesome parks and bike trails. We are all very fortunate to live in this fine community.'
Since opening three years ago, the gymnasium has been a popular, well-used facility, said Goss. To increase the facility's value to the community, Parks and Recreation Department staff will add many new recreation programs and classes at the facility each year with a goal of attracting a substantial number of residents who have not used the facility in the past. New programs will include fitness and special interest classes, as well as summer vacation camps. The City will also use the site for a second Fun Factory Pre-School beginning in September.
Jeff Morrow will be the day-to-day program manager. Nearly all of the Sport Complex staff members will be retained to ensure a seamless transition. For additional information, call Morrow at 355-8346. Contact: Sue Ryan, 916/351-3360, sryan@folsom.ca.us.
Sue Ryan, 916/351-3360, sryan@folsom.ca.us.
