Architect selected for new Wilson Morgan rec center

May 17—The City Council on Monday selected Goodwyn Mills Cawood over six other architectural firms to design Decatur's new recreation center, expected to feature an indoor pool and multiple basketball/volleyball courts, at Wilson Morgan Park.

The Decatur City Council voted 4-1 to award the contract to the Montgomery-based architectural firm, which has offices throughout the Southeast, on the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Department. Councilman Billy Jackson, who opposes the Wilson Morgan Park location, cast the lone vote against Goodwyn Mills' selection.

The city is building a replacement for the Aquadome Recreation Center, which it will lose as part of a $98.4 million legal settlement with 3M Co. over chemical contamination. As part of the settlement, the city received $35 million to replace the Aquadome and its ballfields. The land will be deeded to 3M upon completion of the new rec center.

The city is also planning to build a softball complex on 34.2 acres off Modaus Road Southwest with a portion of the settlement.

Parks and Recreation Director Jason Lake told the council he and his department recommended Goodwyn Mills due to its experience in building recreation centers. The company has designed athletic facilities at Auburn and Clemson universities and, locally, the Athens Recreation Center.

Lake said they also went to see some of the buildings Goodwyn Mills designed and talked to other recreation directors who worked with the firm on projects.

Council President Jacob Ladner called the examples of Goodwyn Mills' work included in the firm's presentation "very impressive."

The city is planning to build the new recreation center on about 2 acres at the center of Wilson Morgan, where the soccer fields and tennis courts are now.

Lake said they gave the competing architectural firms a general idea of what they want and asked them to create a plan for a center with alternates.

"Then we told them to come up with their best stuff," Lake said. "We didn't give them a budget because they already know. We just told them we want a nice place, so they can give us a proposal with many of the items listed as alternates."

The preliminary proposal would feature four to six basketball/volleyball courts with an upstairs track and stationary bicycle stations, and multi-use spaces that can be used for activities like aerobics, rumba, meetings and other center programming.

The cost for architectural fees is based on a variable percentage of the total construction cost, and that construction cost has not been determined.

Lake said it's important that the recreation center include a 25-meter pool to replace the one at Aquadome. He also would like to include a small therapeutic pool.

He said he would like to have an auxiliary gym with pickleball courts. Pickleball has exploded in popularity in recent years, so he would also like to find another area in the city to add a number of pickleball courts.

Lake said the new center will not include a weightlifting room.

"We're so blessed to have really good private fitness clubs so I don't see a need to get into something the community already has available," Lake said.

Mayor Tab Bowling estimated Goodwyn Mills' work on the architectural drawings will take about six months and, after the construction bid is awarded, construction will take about 18 months.

The $14.7 million Athens Recreation Center designed by Goodwyn Mills was completed in 2020. The two-story, 71,800-square-foot facility features a large gymnasium for basketball or volleyball, racquetball courts, a pickleball gym and a room with exercise equipment. An indoor track on the second floor runs above the perimeter of the gym. There are several smaller fitness rooms for exercise programs and meetings.

Goodwyn Mills also designed the $79.5 million Finley Center at the Hoover Met Complex, the $6.2 million Pelham Recreation Center, and the $35 million Watauga Recreation Center in North Carolina.

Lake said the city is also planning to renovate the aging Adventure Park, which was built by private residents more than 20 years ago and is located in Wilson Morgan Park.

"I've been in touch with some of the people who were originally involved in the Adventure Park project," Lake said.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.