The Proposal

To address the recreational and quality of life needs of Crawford County, a county-wide recreation center will be built at Lincoln Trail College. The college is a logical site for several reasons.  First, it is a location in which residents of Crawford County have a shared sense of ownership - this is not a project for Robinson, Hutsonville, Palestine, or Oblong, but rather for all of Crawford County.  Second, the college is home to a large indoor pool and including it in the construction of the new center would significantly reduce construction costs. Finally, it is anticipated that a facility of this magnitude will assist area employers in their efforts to recruit and retain their workforce.  The Crawford County Recreation Center will provide opportunities for sport, recreational, and social programs that prospective employees and their families need to see as employers promote Crawford County as a modern and livable community.

With these thoughts in mind, a community need and interest survey was created and disseminated to every household in Crawford County.  The feedback received has shaped both the design and proposed features of this facility.

In order to accommodate the needs and interests of the community, the recreation center will be approximately 30,000 square feet.  The facility will include multi-purpose activity rooms that can be used for a variety of fitness classes or other activities, rooms that will house more traditional fitness pieces like treadmills and similar cardiovascular equipment, and a sizable area dedicated to free-weights and other strength training equipment.  The facility will also feature indoor courts to accommodate the need for organized sport leagues.  This area will also include an indoor walking and jogging track which is something currently not found anywhere in Crawford County.

Local residents want the facility to be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week and for it to provide fully-equipped locker rooms, making it easier to use the facility before or after work. The need for childcare was clearly stated in order to remove a significant barrier to exercise.

Taking advantage of the natatorium at Lincoln Trail College, residents expressed a desire to have the indoor pool modernized to feature amenities like slides and splash pads for children. It is estimated that attaching the new facility to LTC’s natatorium would save upward of $2,000,000 in construction costs.