Recreation Center & Library

  1. Overview
  2. FAQ
  3. Videos & Documents

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Background

After two years of public engagement, the City Council adopted a new 10-Year Parks and Recreation Master Plan in October 2020. The highest priority project in this plan was a new multigenerational recreation center. Additionally, the City Council had been discussing a new library facility during their annual capital improvement project meetings for many years. During a City Council workshop in February 2021, staff proposed co-locating these two proposed facilities into a joint recreation center and library to share spaces for efficiency. In May 2021, the city contracted with Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture to conduct a feasibility study to determine what elements should be included, such as a walk/jog track, fitness equipment, indoor aquatics, rental space and more.

A steering committee composed of members from the City Council, Library Advisory Board, Mansfield Park Facilities Development Board, city staff and Mansfield residents participated in more than 60 hours of workshops, public meetings and facility tours to assist the consultant with the process. The public engagement process began in June 2021 with surveys, focus groups and public meetings held throughout the summer months.

Feasibility Study & Proposed Concepts

A final report and proposed concept for the Recreation Center and Library was completed and presented to City Council based on the public feedback, staff and expert research and decisions made by the steering committee. You can view that full report on the documents tab of this page. Images above are conceptual renderings created to illustrate what the proposed center could look like if constructed according to the proposal. 

Proposed facility amenities include: 

Recreation & Fitness
Cardio & weight areas
Indoor track
Classroom space 
Gymnasium

Indoor Aquatic Center 
Lap lanes 
Leisure pool
Lazy river & play area 
Water slides

Full-Service Library*
Children’s area 
Collections for all ages
Computer/technology use 
Makerspace

Shared Community Spaces*
Indoor playground
300-person event hall
Outdoor amphitheater
Cafe & work/study areas

*These areas would be free and open to the public during operating hours, with the exception of the event hall, which will be available for rent. 

The recreation, fitness and aquatics areas would have a membership fee in line with similar city-owned facilities in neighboring communities. The feasibility study proposed resident rates of $20/month for children or seniors, $35/month for adults and $65/month for a family of up to six. Those rates are NOT final and would be reviewed further in the development process if the facility were constructed, and ultimately must be approved by City Council.

Based on recommendations from the Citizen Bond Committee, Mansfield City Council selected the joint Recreation Center and Library as one of the projects to be placed on the May 7, 2022 bond election. See more about the proposal and other bond propositions on the bond website here.

If approved by voters in May, design could begin this summer and the facility could open in four years.

Dec. 2021 Update

During the work session of the City Council's September 13th meeting, the consultant and city staff presented the findings from phase one of the project. This included the proposed amenities and spaces, the size of the facility, estimated project timeline and the projected cost to construct the facility. The City Council gave unanimous support to proceed with the second phase of the project where the operational proforma was developed and conceptual images and floor plans were created. The City Council also gave direction to staff to present the proposed facility to the Citizen Bond Committee for consideration on the May 2022 bond election.

Phase two of the feasibility study was completed in November 2021 and the findings were presented to the City Council at their December 13th meeting during a work session. That presentation and the final feasibility study report are available on the Videos & Documents tab of this page.

Sept. 2021 Update

City staff and project consultants presented the proposed amenities and preliminary plans to City Council in a work session update on Monday, Sept. 13. With their unanimous support of the work completed by the study thus far, the steering committee will proceed to the next steps, which include finalizing the facility features, developing a site plan, layout and exterior concepts/design. The full concept will be released with the completion of the study in November. Visit the documents tab of this page to view the proposed amenities as presented to Council.

Aug 2021 Update

The steering committee, staff and consultants are currently using the public feedback and industry data/standards to narrow down the proposed amenities and vision for the center. An update to City Council is currently planned for mid-September; watch for more information as it is available. 

For additional details, check the FAQ tab for presentation materials and meeting recordings. If you have additional questions, please complete a form below and staff will contact you as soon as possible.