A new feasibility study contracted between the City of Gretna and FourSquare Research, Inc., is in the process of finding out the possibility, cost and description of what a community center with indoor and outdoor swimming pools would look like in Gretna.
A part of the study includes conducting 600 telephone interviews starting this week. The calls will be made to randomly selected households in Gretna that do not belong to a YMCA.
The survey questions will be tailored to answers given by the respondents, but some of the questions are about the general interest in a YMCA and about a Gretna YMCA.
FourSquare Research, Inc., is a market research and strategic planning company out of Atlanta that completes studies for non-profits across the country.
City Administrator Colleen Lawry said the conversation for a community center started when Mayor Sally McGuire, herself and Len Romano, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Omaha, met in October. They discussed the YMCA programs, different levels of programs and the idea of bringing a YMCA to Gretna.
One day McGuire and Lawry took Romano on a tour of the community and school district.
They also met with Dr. Kevin Riley, Gretna Public Schools superintendent, to discuss the possibility of a partnership with the school system, Lawry said. A partnership between the City of Gretna and Gretna Public Schools has been a discussion point for six years in an effort to bring a swim team to the Gretna school district, she said.
They agreed the next step would be a feasibility study.
According to the agreement, a consultant will conduct secondary research to find out the needs, determine the targeted survey boundaries and review previous plans and research.
The consultant will offer answers to nine questions, including how can a community center best serve the Gretna residents and what types of fee-based programs should be considered.
A strategic planning team will work with the consultant four times: host a focus group, review the proposed survey, receive the study's initial findings and host the final report presentation.
Once all the information is gathered from the telephone survey, the consultant will deliver the findings to the strategic planning team.
According to the agreement, it will take two to three months to complete the feasibility study.
Lawry said the city budgeted $50,000 for this project, and this study will cost $28,000.
McGuire said it's the first step to a big dream of having a new community center, which is something residents have wanted for a while.
"We have to raise money (to pay for such a facility), but it's a start," she said.
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