Board meeting Tuesday to discuss next step

After years of working toward the goal of bringing an activity center to Troy, the possibility may be closer than ever.

Steve Garrett, a Troy School Board member, attended the Libby City Council meeting on Tuesday to garner support for the Troy Activity Center from the city of Libby, according to Troy School District Superintendent Brady Selle. The city of Troy is already behind the project and has committed to helping with site preparation, in-kind services and electric hook-up needs, Selle added. Lincoln County has also pledged support for the center.

"In order for this project to work," Selle said. "It has to be a project where everyone is involved."

Plans for the new activity center include a remodel of the existing auditorium and a science lab, Selle continued. Also included in the plans are a full size gymnasium with seating for 750 individuals, a concessions area, four locker rooms, an exercise/weight room, public restrooms, racquetball courts and a walking track.

A poll was taken last spring and the main need expressed was a new activity center, Selle said. If the project continues, the center will be a school facility, but it will also be available for community use. The school district will be the owner of the facility and will be responsible for the maintenance.

The project is estimated to cost approximately $1.7 million, with $733,000 contributed by the state from State Equalization dollars, Selle added. The state share will be 43 percent of the cost of the project. The total cost of the project for taxpayers will be approximately $967,000. The annual tax increase for a $100,000 home will amount to $35, according to information provided by Selle.

Board members will be sending mail ballots to the taxpayers in the district so that "everybody in the district has the opportunity to input and have an opportunity to weigh-in," Selle said.

This is an opportune time to make the project a possibility, Selle continued, because the economy in the area has improved, the mine has reopened and more people are working. Board members have looked at other funding sources from corporations and individuals and will continue to do so with the goal of making the activity center a reality, Selle said.

"We'll tap as many sources as possible," he said.

The center will be community accessible, a varsity athletic facility, a multi-use and 50-year facility. The old gym will still be maintained and available for use. If the project is approved, the new activity center will be built in the Morrison Elementary School area. Construction will tentatively begin as early as spring 2008 and would be scheduled for completion by fall 2008.