WOLD/HFR Design was commissioned by the City of Crossville to perform a feasibility study for an Indoor Recreation Facility. The project scope was performed through a series of public forum meetings, a SurveyMonkey analysis of input from citizens (both citizens from the City of Crossville and from Cumberland County), and input from the City’s Leisure Services department staff.

The results of the study to be reviewed by the Crossville City Council in a work session this afternoon (Tuesday, February 2, 2021) is as follows:

In the City Leisure Services Department, the current programming and activities are heavily centered around outdoor activities. This is because of the abundance of quality golfing, hiking, fishing, outdoor swimming, pickleball and athletic spaces in the immediate area. The new Crossville Splashpad adds to this inventory in conjunction to the heavily used pickleball courts.  Seen as both a challenge and an opportunity, current indoor recreational and leisure space is extremely limited, not just in Crossville, but in Cumberland County and the surrounding area. Indoor recreation and leisure space are available from private providers in the retirement communities, churches, and local businesses.  None of these providers have enough space in one place to adequately serve citizens or access is limited based on membership and fees.

INDOOR POOL FACILITIES

The privately operated Fairfield Glade and Lake Tansi have 4‐lane indoor pools available to their residents.

The Putnam County YMCA has a 6‐lane 25‐meter indoor pool that is between 3 ½’ to 6’deep. $936 per family for a year and is 36 miles from Crossville.

Oak Ridge has a 7‐lane indoor older pool 25 yd. $405 for an annual pass. 54 miles away.

Residents of the City of Crossville must travel long distances for opportunities to participate in public indoor swimming, swim lessons, or swim team development.  There are no local swim teams, nor school swim teams.

OUTDOOR POOL FACILITIES

The City of Crossville does not operate an outdoor pool. Currently the community relies on nearby Cumberland Mountain State Park’s pool to accommodate Crossville’s needs in this area. However, the state did not open outdoor pools in the summer of 2020 because of COVID‐19. The state park’s pool is a traditional rectangular Olympic‐size pool with a one‐meter and three‐meter diving boards. In addition to being an older pool, it is not suitable to host outdoor swim competitions.

The City of Crossville did open a Splashpad in 2019 that is quite popular. This does not however provide swimming, swim lessons, swim teams nor, does it meet needs of teens and older youths.

In Cookeville, the Putnam County Parks and Recreation Department manages a rectangular outdoor pool with diving boards.

The City of Sparta YMCA has an outdoor pool and does offer swim lessons. They do have outdoor pool only memberships which are $120.00 for a family. Distance from Crossville is approximately 28 miles.

None of these facilities have modern outdoor pool features such as water slides, lazy rivers, water playgrounds and zero depth entrances.

PUBLIC GYMS

Indoor athletic spaces are primarily supplied in Crossville by schools and churches.    These are restricted to students, church members or private leagues who utilize them.  The private Fairfield Glade has an indoor gym for basketball.

WELLNESS CENTER

The term wellness center is associated with weight training, cardio training, fitness classes and wellbeing. In this area, the City of Crossville has many private providers.  They offer classes, personal training, and a variety of equipment.  There are several which operate on a 24‐hour basis.

The cities of Cookeville, Sparta, Oak Ridge, all have wellness areas and offer fitness classes and each city also has private providers. Every indoor recreation facility contains wellness space and equipment. Private providers can also offer specialized programs and equipment. It is recommended that a general wellness area with cardio and weight equipment get included in the proposed recreation facility.

The size of the area does not need to be as large as in some other facilities.  Also, cardio equipment could have locations throughout a proposed building in activity pods, such as off an indoor track.

TEEN AND YOUTH ACTIVITIES

The surveys and public meetings indicated that Crossville is very underserved in these areas. Many activities are based on athletics and competition. There is no place for them to come for pick‐up games, social activities, open swimming, and just plain play.    Churches provide youth activities to the community. This is a large area that the City of Crossville could help fill with an indoor recreation facility to attract families to locate in Crossville. Quality childcare when school is out is an ongoing concern for parents. Space for teens and youth is particularly important.

SENIOR & OLDER ADULT PROGRAMS

Crossville Leisure Services does not offer senior programs. It does offer pickleball courts that are often used by seniors and older adults. Most senior activity is provided by Fairfield Glade and Lake Tansi residents and members. The City of Crossville does have a Senior Center called Fair Park and Senior Citizens‐Cumberland Inc.  The emphasis should center on Senior Fitness areas and classes in a proposed Indoor Recreation Facility. Seniors prefer activities during the day when the facility is less busy because many families and youth are at work or at school.  Indoor pool space, especially a warm water therapy pool with enough space to hold classes, would attract many older adults.

Cumberland Medical Center has two wellness complexes. One in Fairfield Glade, which is a 25,000 square foot facility that has a fitness area, pool and physical therapy services including aquatic therapy. And a second wellness complex, located in Crossville in the Woodmere Mall, offers a diabetes self‐management program and nutritional counseling.

A survey for the proposed Crossville Recreation Center has been done twice:

SUMMATION OF 2014 CROSSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN

This community‐based survey was conducted between April and May 2014 in support of the afore‐mentioned Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The following information is a summary of the survey:

• 327 responded to a survey.
• Majority of responders in 2014 participated in youth and adult sports: baseball, softball, soccer.
• Largest response of what they would like to participate in were adventure type activities.
• Top indoor classes they desired were aquatic classes, yoga.
• The responders thought Crossville was not providing enough aquatic programming and large meeting space/banquet space.
• Number one reason they do not participate in Crossville Parks and Recreation was “lack of amenities” which translated to no indoor recreation space.
• 47% said they were willing to drive 30 minutes to reach facilities.
• 59% responded said they travel outside of Crossville to recreation facilities.
• 230 out of 337=68% an indoor facility was “much needed”.
• 91% supported developing more indoor recreation facilities.
• 84% feel a good parks and recreation system is just as important as schools, fire, and police protection.

SUMMATION OF 2020 CROSSVILLE INDOOR RECREATION FACILITY SURVEY 

This traditional survey was done through an online SurveyMonkey. The following is the results:

• 921 people responded.
• 58% of people participate more than once a week or seasonally in activities of the department.
• Those who use parks and recreation facilities less than once per month had a 68% response they were not interested in current programs or facilities offered by the department.
• 75% fully support funding the building and operation of a multi‐purpose indoor recreation facility, 14.2% somewhat support. Only 4% responded they did not support.
• A public outdoor pool had 45% of respondents stating a pool was extremely important, 27% very important.
• Top five components desired by the respondents were: 1. Youth/Teen activity area, 2. Indoor Walking Track, 3. Outdoor Pool/Splash Pad, 4. Indoor Pool/Competition Pool, 5. Casual Care Child Room.
• Top five programs or activities people would like in an indoor facility were: 1. Indoor athletic activities for youth, 2. Afterschool and summer programming for children, 3. Indoor athletic activities for adults, 4. Swimming and swim team development, and 5. Water fitness classes.
• The activities that citizens considered “poor” by Crossville Parks and Recreation were 1. Those for teens ages 12‐18, 2. People with Special Needs, 3. Young Adults 18‐
• 75% considered it important that a future Indoor Recreation Facility include areas for childcare, afterschool programs, and a summer day camp.
• 93% stated the number of citizens served with a facility is more important than the amount of revenue brought in from use.