Life Fitness Center sale approved by Bettendorf council

Bettendorf’s Life Fitness Center is going to be sold.  The Bettendorf City Council on Tuesday night, Oct. 4, voted to approve two resolutions – one to OK the sale of the Life Fitness Center to the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, and a shared-use agreement where the YMCA will run a new city-owned water […]

Bettendorf’s Life Fitness Center is going to be sold.  The Bettendorf City Council on Tuesday night, Oct. 4, voted to approve two resolutions – one to OK the sale of the Life Fitness Center to the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, and a shared-use agreement where the YMCA will run a new city-owned water park. The vote on both resolutions was 5-1 with Alderman Jerry Sechser voting against both measures.

For the past several months, Bettendorf has touted plans to improve the city-owned recreational amenities at Middle Road and 23rd Street and develop a new attraction expected to be called “The Landing.” The plans  – which come with a price tag of about $21 million –  include a new community water park, an ice rink and a YMCA-owned recreational center that, respectively, will replace the city’s Splash Landing, Frozen Landing and its Life Fitness Center. With the resolution approved, the sale of the fitness center could be complete by the end of the year and will be sold to the YMCA for about $1.4 million. The YMCA will turn the fitness center into a youth programming focused facility. Before Tuesday’s council vote, 15 citizens spoke during two public hearings on the resolutions during a council meeting that attracted more than 75 people. While a few speakers supported the plan and the proposed sale of the fitness center, most gave a clear thumbs down to city plans. Some of the themes and comments made by several speakers included:

• Don’t sell the Life Fitness Center because it is a great community asset that helps seniors and young people.
• The Life Fitness Center should stay in city hands because it is one of the few indoor tennis facilities in the area, and it has made the sport affordable and accessible to many residents and students.
• The proposed deal will benefit the YMCA, and not the residents of Bettendorf.
• Let Bettendorf residents vote on the plan.
• The money spent on a new water park – that will only be used a few months out of the year – can be better spent in other areas.

Among the speakers was Chuck Mahoski of Bettendorf. After the council approved the two resolutions, he said he was “Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no.” “They keep telling us this is such a great deal. How can it be a great deal when it (a new water park) is only open a fourth of the year?” the Bettendorf man said. Mr. Mahoski added that while he was grateful the council listened to the concerns and comments of many residents, he feels they already had their minds made up about the project before Tuesday’s meeting. During the public hearing, Mr. Mahoski told the council members he was also concerned about future maintenance costs for a water park. He said future maintenance issues could cost the city big money. “This is not a winning proposition for the citizens of Bettendorf,” he added. Also during the public hearing, Sue Johnson urged the council to vote against the sale of the fitness center. “It’s an amazing asset for the city. It’s not a liability,” she added. Those residents who spoke out against the fitness center sale found an ally in Alderman Sechser.  Before Tuesday’s voting, Mr. Sechser said he is against the sale because the center currently offers activities that help keep seniors and other residents healthy. He cited recent newspaper articles that stated the leading cause of death in the Quad Cities is heart disease. The physical activities now offered by the fitness center can help battle those health issues, which means there is a need for the facility, he added. However, most council members said the sale of the fitness center and partnership with the YMCA in running the water park is a good deal for residents. Several aldermen said the deal will bring in more activities and better facilities to Bettendorf without increasing local taxes. “It’s the right thing to do for the taxpayers of this community,” said Alderman Greg Adamson. Alderman Bill Connors called the deal a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for the community. City Administrator Decker Ploehn added that the Life Fitness Center has been losing membership for many years. The sale of the center to the YMCA has been researched for a long time by city staff. It will bring in new and additional activities to the community, and will “be a good deal for the city,” he added. During a  September meeting, the city council discussed some of the details of the proposed deal. Those details include:

• The fitness center would be sold to the YMCA for $1.43 million, which is the assessed value of the center. During the meeting, Alderman Frank Baden said he heard several public comments that the sales price is too low. 
• The fitness center sale could close by Dec. 15.
• If the YMCA takes over the center, it will offer tennis for 24 months, unless another tennis option becomes available. Under previous plans, the YMCA had discussed an 18-month guarantee for indoor tennis players.
• If approved, the YMCA would run the new water park under a 20-year agreement.
• The new YMCA-owned recreation center would continue to serve as a city emergency center and be open for city-run recreational programs in inclement weather. Mr. Ploehn previously said he recalls the Life Fitness Center being used as an emergency center only once in the past 32 years.
• The cost of constructing the new water park is estimated at about $18.7 million. It is expected to be divided evenly from three sources: one-third from the city, one-third from the YMCA and one-third from private donors and grants. In September, Mr. Ploehn said  the city has secured grant money through the Scott County Regional Authority and the Regional Development Authority for the project. He added that it appears “very positive” that the city could get additional grants from three other entities he did not identify. But he did add that “those boards have met and boards have approved it.” The city also plans to use COVID-19 relief money to pay for its portion of the new water park.