Focus group begins work to evaluate needs for City Hall, Community Center

by Addie Rainbolt


The first meeting of the Grain Valley Municipal Facilities Focus Group was held on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 5:30pm in the Burgess Room in the Grain Valley Community Center to evaluate the need for a new City Hall, Community Center and outdoor Aquatics Center. 

Over the next few months, the Focus Group will consider and guide the programming and design processes for these facilities and present their recommendations to the Board of Aldermen by Jan. 28. The Board will then decide if this project should be placed on the ballot as a bond issue to be voted on by Grain Valley residents in April 2025.

A similar bond issue, which involved rebuilding of the City Hall, Community Center, Aquatics Center and Police Station at the former Sni-a-Bar farms site, failed in April 2020. After this bond issue failed, the city took a poll to learn residents’ concerns that kept them from passing the bond issue. 

Ken Murphy, city administrator, said the city has studied this poll, considered these concerns and is prepared to take the next step in proposing a new bond issue to rebuild the City Hall, Community Center and Aquatics Center at the former Sni-a-Bar farms site. The Focus Group will assist in taking this step.

The Focus Group consists of seven residents; from Ward 1: Mike Cassidy and Bruce Neer; Ward 2: LaTisha Robinson and Lisa Limberg; Ward 3: Catrina Brunk and Dan Strader; and an at-large resident: Ryan Schinstock. All members, except Brunk, were in attendance.

Murphy said, “the decision that the Board has made to this point is that [the city] will get a contract with Hoefer Welker” to plan the rebuilding of the City Hall, Community Center and Aquatics Center. 

After Hoefer Welker creates a plan for this rebuild, with the assistance of the Focus Group, it will be recommended to the Board, Murphy said. Then, the Board will decide whether or not to proceed with a bond issue.

Murphy said the Board is only looking at options that will not increase the current levy.

Steve Wolf, meeting facilitator, said the Focus Group was assembled to ensure the project “reflects the priorities and values” of the community of Grain Valley. The first step to fulfill this purpose was to discuss the Focus Group’s goals. 

Schinstock said the Focus Group must begin with an “honest evaluation of what we have and prioritizing from there.” 

Limberg said the Focus Group must prioritize “the best interest of the community and the city,” not just one or the other.

These separate interests must be balanced, Cassidy said.

Another goal of the Focus Group is to “represent different segments of the community,” Cassidy said, to ensure all interests are considered.

Three priorities, according to Robinson, are that the community will continue to be “happy, healthy [and] thriving” with the addition of new facilities.

Ken Henton, Hoefer Welker partner, is doing the architectural programming and design for this project, and said sustainability and longevity of these facilities should also be a priority.

Henton then explained the considerations Hoefer Welker will make during the design process including analyses of the former Sni-a-Bar farms site, needs for the space, the best execution to meet all needs, cost, sustainability, reactions of city officials who will work in the facilities, etcetera.

The Focus Group then toured the current Community Center, Aquatics Center and City Hall to understand the need for new facilities.

Shannon Davies, parks and recreation director, conducted the tour of the Community Center and Aquatics Center. 

During the tour of the Community Center, Davies pointed out the non-regulation size basketball court in the gymnasium that lacks sidelines, the small and unsecured lobby and front desk area, the single janitor closet and the small fitness center with minimum walking area in between equipment.

During the tour of the Aquatics Center, Davies brought the focus group’s attention to the pipes that have burst in the outdoor bathrooms because they do not have heating, the outdated technology and mechanical systems, lack of break room for lifeguards and first aid station for patrons.

Murphy then gave a tour of City Hall, explaining the need for new HVAC, plumbing and mechanical systems, as well as roofing and windows. 

Even if the bond issue passes, Murphy said, the project would not be completed for around 18 months. Considering this, the city staff is “making do with the space they have” and trying to renovate without spending much money, Murphy said. 

Ultimately, though, Murphy said the current City Hall no longer fits the city staff’s needs while the former Sni-a-Bar farms site offers space to expand with the city and the staff’s needs.

The Community Center, Aquatics Center and City Hall were built in 2000, Murphy said, when the population of Grain Valley was around 5,500. The population is projected to reach around 40,000 by 2050, Murphy said, and the city must begin preparing for this growth.

The focus group’s meetings will be Nov. 19, Dec. 17 and Jan. 7. A public open-house meeting, led by the focus group, will be held on Feb. 4. 

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