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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRB Court Expansion Report4 DRAFT Racouetball Expansion Report The Cape Canaveral Recreation Complex was formally opened Christmas week of 1975. Since the complexes inception, the two racquetball courts have gained in popuinrity and utalization, just as the game of racquetball has gyown in popularity. As early. as August of 1977, then Recreation Director Jack Piccalo was calling to the Recreation Boardsattention that during a time period. of 1 March 1977 to 31 July 1977 the complex had logged 2176 turn downs for racquetball court reservations, A review of the Recreation Complexes' financial records reveals that racquetball income has increased consistantly each year andat a rate faster than the other two offered activities, TTprE PERIOD PER MONTE INCOME PERCENT CTIzqTGES PER YEAR ljapaRgtball 19754976(9 mon.) $415.13 N/A 1976-1977 503.62 +21.31% 1977-1978 522,11 + 3.54% *191104979 887,61 4-70.00% Tennis 1975-1976(9 mon.) 948.93 N/A 1976-1977 845.16 -10.93% 1977-1978 793.62 -6.09% *1978-1979 886.83 +11.7/4 Shuffleboard 19r,75-1976(9mon.) 114. 83 N/A 1976-1977 49.82 -56.61% 1977-1978 58.29 +17.00% 1978-1979 68.03 +16.7W, *1978-1979 projections based on present receipts. 2 In January 1979 the Recreation Board proposed to the City Council that the Recreation Complex fee schedule be increased to lower the taxpayers load and increase the users burden in meeting Recreational Complex operating expenses. Fee increases were implemented which favored the Cape Canaveral. resident to the maximum extent possible where. 100 percent utaiization was being obtainedWith the new fee schedules implemented since February 1979, Racquetball income has increased 107 percent over a similiar period in 1978. The Recreation Board. has also increased Racquetball court utalization to the maXimum numbers of users by implementing an expanded reservation system andthrough the encouragement of ladder play by the Cape Canaveral Racquet- ball Association. At the time the Recreation Complex increased fee schedule was proposed, the Mayor and several City Council Members expressed interest in obtaining a. better understanding of what additional racquetball courts would cost, of what the expected court utalization would be, and what additional income could be expected. Upper most in the City Councils mind was ensuring that Cape Canaveral citizens obtained the maximum benefit possible from the Recreation Complex. This report has been prepared by the Cape Canaveral Recreation Board in direct response to those inquiries. The game of racquetballYas enjoyed unparalleled growth in recent years, since 1972 participants have increased nationally four fold to over 6 mAllion at present, Florida has been a leader with player numbers increasing be approximently 50 percent a year. The Cape Canaveral Racquetball Associ- ation formed in October 1978 now has 80 members. The recreation complex staff again took a turn -down survey during February, March and April of 1979 for the Racquetball courts. This survey shows an average monthly turn -down rate of 31 requests for non -prime time and 332 requests for prime time reservations. the Meilleur as a member of both the Cape Canaveral and. Brevard County Racquetball. Associations has polled many of the more active players with regard to increased ulalization of the complexes racquetball courts if extended play, more than a one hour reservations were allowed. Mr. Meilleur's survey shows that many of the active players would increase their court utlalization by up to four hours per week. Both the Cape Canaveral Recreation Board and the Complex staff have also noted many of the teenage users in the 13 to 16 year old group no longer PLY frequently because of the difficulty in obtaining court time. The Recreation. Bord ak5o notes that in the Community Facilities Plan, a growth rate of 4 percent per year is projected for Cape Canaveral through 1985, The Recreation Complex Director has conducted a review of surrounding areas to obtain their current plans toward construction of additional courts which might reflect on the utalization of Cape Canaveral facilities. The following additional public facilities are curren- Location Rockledge Cocoa Beach Kiwanis Island (County District II) West Melbourne Type and Number 2-Four wall courts 2-Four wall courts 2-Three wall courts 1-Four wall court 6-Four wall courts Also planned are the following private facilities Location Cape Canaveral (Oceanwoods) YMCA Merritt Island. YMCA Titusville Melbourne Indian Harbor Beach Cocoa Beach or . MaLlitt.Island TY,Pe and Nuillbr 2-Four.. wall courts 4-Four wall courts 4-Four wall courts 10-Four wall indoor 14-Four wall indoor 12-Four wall indoor courts courts courts y being contimplated: Status Construction just completed Awaiting Commission approval Construction funded 10 May 1979 Completion targeted June 1980 Status Under construction Will propose in 1980 Budget Will propose in 1980 Budget Under construction Allen Engineering designing. Looking for suitable location Addition to the Cape Canaveral Recreation Complexes racquetball area can be accomplished by either placing two additional courts opposite the existing facility to the south, or by placing two courts beside the existing facility to the east, Our preliminary research indicates that costs for either of these two options would be comparable and that the prime consideration should be toward preserving the complexes overall outstanding appearance verse saving construction dollars. The Recreation Board would favor the side by side concept with the two new courts placed to the east of the existing courts. The Recreation Boards preliminary estimate for construction of two additional racquetball courts is: .$50,000 For Construction during the summer of 1979. 51,500 For Construction during the forth quarter of calendar year 1979 (First quarter of Cape Canaveralfisical year 1980). 53.014.5 For construction during the first quarter of calendar year 1980 (Second quarter of Cape Canaverals£isical year 1980). Should the City Council choose to actively pursue expansion of the Recreation Complexes Racquetball Facility the Recreation Board recomnded an engineering consultant update the present court design to include an extention of the roof an additional eight feet toward the rear, extend the side walls toward the rear at least to a point near the service line, provide better designed doors and lower and increase the size of the rear windows for better viewing. The consultant should also prepare a "Not to exceed" cost estimate prior to the councils final approval of the project for any specific time period. The Recreation Board would consider these expendatures justified in that they may be used as a baseline in any subsequent bid process. The Recreation Board has projected income from the two existing 7-racquetball courts at $11,000 for 1980. Seventy percent of this income ($7,700) is from prime time usage and thirty percent ($3,300) is from non -prime tine usage. It can be assumed that prime time income would not be substancially effected from expansion so a figure of $14,630 is obtained which represents 95 percent for the 4 courts® However non -prime time income will not be that substancially increased. Assuming only a fifty percent gain in non - prime time income for the two remaining courts($1,650.) then the total non - prime income would be $4,950. This would make the total complex racquetball income *19,580 for an increase of seventy eight percent or $8,580. a year. Addition of the two new racquetball courts would result in a $360 increase in the complexes electric bill however no additional operating costs are anticipated. 5 The Recreation and Open Space Element, 701 Comprehensive Plan for the City or Cape Canaveral lists as a Facilities Expansion Policy: "Expansion of facilities in the recreation complex, which through rental fees provide the most monetary assistance, should be given full consider- ation." The Recreation Board believes that addition of two racquetball courts to the Cape Canaveral Recreation Complex will allow Cape Canaveral residents increased utalization of their facility. The board does not feel that courts under construction or anticipated in surrounding communities will adversely effect utalization of Cape Canaveral Racquetball facilities. Cane Canaveral draws many serious racquetball players from surrounding areas due to the QUALITY of our facility and this attraction will continue. The $8 00 a year annual income increase can be used to pay fox the addition and will greatly enhance Cape Canaveralschances in meeting our end objective of having a financially independent Recreation Complex which does not require general fund tax support. This Report was approved by a vote of to by the Cape Canaveral Recreation Board at its meeting on City Council as requested. The report is forwarded to the Cape Canaveral Carl K. Welton Chairman Cape Canaveral Recreation Board