Bozeman Community Center

You may have already heard the news: Bozeman City Commission voted against putting this project on the November ballot during the 7/18 meeting.

What does that mean for us? We're looking at the possibility of putting this project on a future ballot, so you may hear again about this project in the future. We know that swim classes are full and spots in recreation programming get filled within minutes. We know that Bozeman's west side has grown rapidly and literacy rates increase the closer you are to a library. We know that there are few free or low-cost spaces where people of all ages and abilities can go during the winter. The Bozeman Community Center would help fill those needs, and until a project is built, our growing community will continue to add challenges in these areas.

At the same time, we understand that rising property values and taxes have caused strain and stress for our community, especially those property owners on fixed incomes, and renters who are bearing these increased costs as well. We heard at the City Commission meeting that though this project is needed, now is not the right time.

As we look towards the future, we hope you can stay connected with us and continue the conversation. We want this facility to be representative of our community's needs and hope you can continue to help us envision a space where we can all learn, play, and connect.

Thank you for all of your thoughtful input and interest throughout this project.

The Bozeman City Commission will hear an update on the Bozeman Community Center and take the next step towards putting this new facility on the ballot in the November 2023 elections. Tune in to the meeting on July 18th at 6pm.

Find the agenda with more information and a link to join the meeting at www.bozeman.net/meetings. The agenda will be published on 7/13.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Open House at Gallatin High last week! We had a great turnout and lots of rich conversations with residents of all ages.

These concept designs are based off of community feedback from the nearly 1,400 survey responses we received and hundreds of attendees at in person and virtual events and meetings we held with folks across the community. You can check out the concept designs on this page at your convenience.

Next steps for the project are to develop cost models and the language that will go before voters in the November 2023 election. Stay tuned for more information as we move from community engagement to voter education ahead of the election!

You are invited to view concept designs for the Bozeman Community Center! The project team will present the design concept on April 26 at Gallatin High School Commons (4455 Annie Street) from 4 to 6 p.m.

Some of the major parts of the facility include:

• Leisure pool/indoor water park
• Multi-purpose pool
• Outdoor splash pad and deck area
• Two-court wood floor gymnasium
• Multi-purpose recreation space
• Fitness and stretching areas
• Indoor climbing wall feature
• Children’s, Teen, and Adult Library Collections and seating areas
• Maker Space
• Learning Lab
• Audio/video media lab
• Sensory room
• Book mobile garage
• Public/civic plaza
• Meeting rooms
• Lockers and locker rooms
• Café and seating
  
  

We look forward to seeing you there!

Missed last week's Virtual Town Hall? Check out the recording of the whole event here to learn about the project, what we've heard from the community so far, and Q&A with staff at the end! After you watch, take the poll on the fitness and recreation component of the project and share any additional feedback you have in the post-event survey! Please provide your feedback by March 12th.

Thank you to the almost 1,400 residents of all ages who shared their top priorities for the types of spaces, amenities, and programs that could be included in the new Bozeman Community Center!

In addition to the community-wide survey, we've been hosting presentations and input sessions all over the community. All of this input will help the design team develop a cost estimate over the next few months. The next step for staff is to present these results to City Commission in a work session at their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 21st at 6pm. Details to join the meeting are on the city's website.

Check out the results in the "documents" section on the right hand side of this page, or get the full run-down in the recording of Thursday's Virtual Town Hall that we'll post here after the event.

Do you love to swim? Whether you use the Swim Center, Bogert Pool, or simply are interested in how the aquatics part of this project is shaping up, we want to hear from you. Attend our Listening Session on Aquatics to give your input on the Bozeman Community Center!

Listening Session on Aquatics
Feb. 22 from 3:30 – 5 PM
Beall Park Rec Center
Limited seating available. Sign up online at https://signup.com/go/drYNwoK to attend.

All are invited to attend on Thursday, Feb. 23 to view how the Bozeman Community Center project is coming together

Thanks to all who joined us at the project launch Open House on 1/19! We were joined by over 50 community members of all ages who shared their input on what amenities and programs they would like to see in the new Bozeman Community Center.

We heard support for pickleball courts, indoor and outdoor aquatics facilities, and programs for people to explore their interests from age 0-5, high school, and older adults. Check out the comments, dot exercises and notecard ideas shared in the documents section!

The next steps are to continue to engage underrepresented communities, compile input from the survey, open house, and these focused conversations to develop a concept design and estimated budget for the project.

Please help us hear from more voices by sharing the survey with your friends, family, and neighbors! It will close on February 17th.

In the meantime, find project updates and activities on this page!

A notecard expresses support for an "arts and crafts place where kids can become famous artists... a climbing walls... a place where kids and parents on fridays or weekends for fun with lots of activities"

We hope to see you tomorrow at our first public event for the Bozeman Community Center. Join us any time between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the Bozeman Public Safety Center Community Room (901 N. Rouse Ave).

Can't make it? Not to worry! All of the display boards and prompts we're gathering input on are available here for you to check out and respond to in your own time.

• View the open house display boards over in the "Documents" section on the right side of this webpage.
• Share your input on our Guiding Principles
• Take the survey by February 17th!