Several members of the community of Sabetha have been meeting periodically since 2008 to discuss the impact, feasibility, public interest and the features of a new health and wellness facility. This committee has come to the conclusion that a facility of this nature would not only benefit individual citizens through health and wellness, but enhance what this community currently has to offer, as well as having the potential to stimulate local growth in the economy and population.
All images shown on this website are considered preliminary.
(Architect's design of front of building)
Goals of this Facility
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To foster a healthy quality of life for people of all ages
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To promote and offer diverse exercise and overall fitness opportunities
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To provide resources for physical therapy, rehabilitation and injury prevention
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To encourage people to be advocates for healthy living
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To help build strong family relationships through physical activity
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To provide incentive for new families to relocate to this community
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To attract people from other communities to use this facility
- resistance training
- aqua therapy
- rehabilitation
- physical fitness
- teach our kids swimming techniques
- education for swimming- lifeguard, water safety, scuba diving
- center for yoga, pilates, dance classes
- corporate wellness partnerships
- year round entertainment /activities for youth
- swim team
Purpose and Intended Use
Year round physical therapy
Wellness Center
Recreation
Rationale for Facility
Sabetha is an outstanding community with state of the art facilities in all facets of day to day operations. Employees of the city do an outstanding job maintaining current facilities, and stay up to date with equipment needs to operate efficiently and effectively. In order for Sabetha to remain a progressive and proactive community, upgrading health and wellness facilities is critical for our future growth.
Discussion among committee members over the past two years has involved what features could be included in the facility itself, funding, taxpayer obligations, obligations the city would have once the facility was open, the economy, the construction of an addition to Sabetha High School, the closure of Sabetha Armory, the longevity of Midtown and the benefits a health and wellness center could provide to the citizens of Sabetha as well as surrounding communities.
The economy and the bond issue for the addition to Sabetha High School have both been major players in the timing of proposing this project. With the passing of the bond issue for Sabetha High School and improvements in the economy, the committee feels the timing is right to promote a health and wellness facility that could benefit all citizens of all ages in Sabetha and surrounding communities.
Although no formal survey of the community was taken, conversations within this community indicate a significant interest in this facility. A bond vote in November 2012 will serve as the formal survey for this project.
The current outdoor swimming pool located in Leman Park is over 30 years old. Improvements have been made to this pool over the years to keep it functioning. Due to the age of this pool, it no longer meets ADA regulations. Midtown has been used for several years by people interested in health and wellness, but the Midtown building is antiquated and limited in space. It was originally built in 1929 as a high school. Although modifications and improvements to that building in the areas of health and wellness have been made, the building is still insufficient in meeting the needs that a progressive community should visualize in the area of health and wellness. The future of Midtown has been included in some discussions, including the fact that the building is over 90 years old.
The number of participants in the Sabetha Swim Team program has risen over the years, with the numbers topping out over 120 swimmers for the summer of 2011. During the 1990’s, the numbers were typically in the 75-90 swimmer range. This increase indicates a growing interest for competitive swimming in this community. One could assume the interest in swimming would continue as participants age, but the focus would be changed from a competitive nature to one of general fitness. By providing an indoor swimming facility, people of all ages would have the means to continue swimming year round, regardless of whether it is competitive or not.
With Sabetha having a larger elderly population than other communities, the need for a “no impact” form of fitness would serve this generation well. Water aerobics for people over the age of 18 has traditionally been well attended. This fitness program has been available for over 15 years, and participants have expressed interest in the past to keep the program going as long as possible during the summer, even after the traditional pool closing date of Labor Day. An indoor facility would allow these people of all ages to continue their fitness program year round.
Surrounding communities have completed projects over the past few years that involve outdoor swimming pools and water parks, however these facilities were built primarily for recreation, and are limited to summer use only. The facility being proposed for the City of Sabetha would be a year round facility centered around an indoor pool, focusing on health and wellness, but also including recreational aspects as well. The closest facilities of this nature can be found in Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and St. Joseph, Missouri. Over the past several years, residents of Sabetha have driven to these locations year-round for competition, fitness and recreational use. An indoor, multi-use, multi-generational facility fulfills the needs of those people as well as those unable to travel those distances. In addition, the proposed facility provides a closer option for people from neighboring communities interested in meeting specific year-round needs.
Ultimately, one of the goals of this facility would be to validate Sabetha as being progressive. A facility such as this could influence decisions people make when choosing where they live. Employees that commute from other locations could witness this as an additional benefit of living in Sabetha and choose to relocate here, increasing the tax base.
Sabetha has long held strong family values, and a health and wellness center provides another avenue to reinforce and provide quality family time. Once again, families from other communities could recognize this as another option for spending their leisure time. The potential also exists that visitors would patronize other businesses, helping to boost the local economy.
