INDOOR RECREATION SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SNAPSHOT
B eginning in 2023 and throughout 2024, the Naperville Park District worked on conducting a needs assessment for indoor recreation space. The goal of the Indoor Recreation Space Needs Assessment (IRSNA) initiative was to develop a detailed plan based on community need for and support of further indoor recreation amenities. The final assessment will guide the District in meeting the recreation needs of the community while assisting staff and board in determining the District’s strategic direction regarding indoor space. This snapshot is a high-level overview of the process undertaken to create the IRSNA and the main outcomes from extensive public engagement - a key component of this initiative. The entire process and community feedback can be viewed in the complete IRSNA document.
The goals of the project included: • Assist the Park District to determine and prioritize where to invest its resources for current and future indoor space • Evaluate the agency’s current indoor recreation space inventory and utilization as it relates to District goals, plans and survey data • Assist in creating baselines for peak facility use, capacities, hours of operations, etc.
• Identify gaps and inefficiencies with current indoor facility use and make recommendations • Identify gaps between current indoor facility inventory and the space needed to address current needs and future growth • Identify types and sizes of indoor spaces needed to address current needs and future growth in addition to estimated construction costs
• Assist the District in confirming community interest and need for additional indoor space • Formulate a plan with recommendations for current and any future indoor space based on multiple data sources
Why Was a Needs Assessment Necessary? While the Naperville Park District built and opened the Fort Hill Activity Center in 2016, it filled to near capacity in many respects in less than eight years. Additionally, post-pandemic, the District experienced a tremendous increase in participation in many of its indoor programs, leading to challenges in accommodating everyone who wants to participate. In addition to having some of its own indoor recreation space, the District leveraged long-term partnerships in the community including both Naperville school districts and other private community organizations for additional programmable space, but accommodating the demonstrated need by community members for Park District recreation programs and services remains a challenge. Community Input Process The Naperville Park District selected
Naperville Park District Overview
Created in 1966, the Naperville Park District is an independent municipal agency that serves the recreation needs of a community of approximately 150,000 residents. Its mission to provide recreation and park experiences that promote healthy lives, healthy minds, and a healthy community is at the forefront of its operations. It maintains and operates more than 2,400 acres comprised of 138 parks park several unique facilities. The District provides over 7,500 recreational classes, teams, events and performances annually, serving the leisure interests of all ages. The Park District is an accredited agency through the Commission for the Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
the team comprised of Williams Architects, PROS Consulting, and the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign Office of Recreation and Park Resources (ORPR) to conduct the assessment. Gathering community input was a cornerstone of the overall process; it occurred across several different aspects including focus group sessions, stakeholder interviews, open house events and community surveys (both a statistically–valid survey and a community-wide feedback survey). In addition to considering community feedback and other data including demographics and trends, the Naperville Park District’s
organizational guiding plans remain influential in determining the direction of the District. The key organizational documents considered in formulating the Indoor Recreation Space Needs Assessment include: • 2023 Master Plan • 2023-2025 Strategic Plan • 2022 Community Interest & Opinion Survey
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Demographics and Trends Conducting an analysis of demographics and trends provided the Park District with important insight into the general makeup of the population served and helped identify market trends in recreation. Here are some highlights of that analysis: • With a still-growing population, the District will need to strategically invest, develop, and maintain programs and facilities in relation to current and future residential growth • Naperville’s aging population indicates a need for the District to refocus on opportunities for the 55+ ages population • Program offerings need to reflect an increasingly diverse population, supported by communications and public outreach; as such, the District will need to evaluate and consider shifting its program offerings over time
Naperville’s 55+ population is expected to grow to represent just over a third (37%) of the total population and will become increasingly diverse over the next 15 years.
In 2024, the population of White Alone residents is estimated to be about 62%, similar to the national average (60%). The second highest percentage is Asian Alone residents at 23% - higher than the national average (6%). White Alone is expected to decrease 14% over the next 15 years.
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Recreation Trends National recreation trending data helps compare similarities and understand differences that are seen more locally. Currently, the top three sports by participation in the United States are basketball, golf, and tennis. Additionally, pickleball continues to be the fastest growing sport in America with a 311.5% increase over five years, and fitness trends continue to grow, with favorability shown for exercise that can be done in multiple environments including a virtual class setting. Swimming, which is deemed to be a lifetime activity, continues to show strong interest; all aquatic activities saw moderate increases in participation nationally. Additionally: • 2023 experienced the greatest number of active Americans in the last six years • Fitness sports continue to be the go-to means of exercise for Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials • National trends in fitness have grown with the most participation in walking for fitness, treadmill, free weights, running/jogging and yoga The following chart shows market potential data for NPD resident participation.
District residents are most likely to participate in Pilates, jogging/ running, and aerobics
Similar Provider Analysis To further illustrate recreational interest locally, the project team conducted research on other indoor recreation facilities in and around Naperville. Similar providers include public and private fitness facilities, other park districts and school districts, as well as nonprofit organizations. Fifty-one similar providers were researched to obtain information about the amenities and offerings they provide. Through this research, the following findings were determined: • Fitness facility similar providers are the largest category, offering a broad range of services and amenities • Racquet sports (e.g., pickleball and tennis) are growing in popularity, with many facilities providing lessons, leagues, and open play
• Indoor aquatic facility similar providers are less common, but highly valued, with lap pools, lessons, water aerobics, and rentals being the most common offerings • Gym, turf, and event space are often facilitated through partnerships with local school districts to meet the high demands of these types of amenities
• The proximity of similar providers to the center point of Naperville underscores the high demand for variety in recreation opportunities
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Current Indoor Space Analysis The IRSNA provides important insights regarding the capacity, usage patterns and programming needs of the current Naperville Park District facilities, while exploring the potential need for additional indoor space. As the demand for indoor recreation programs continues to grow, particularly in underserved areas like south Naperville, recommendations were developed to optimize current facility use while guiding the potential future development of additional indoor space. Findings of this portion of the analysis included: • Fort Hill Activity Center operates at or above the industry benchmark for optimal use (70%) • School gymnasiums have limitations on use that prohibit the opportunity to grow high-demand Park District programs
• Opportunities exist to reimagine the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center to increase utilization • Program expansion at the 95th Street Center is limited due to it being a leased space and operational constraints
• Shared use of Naperville North High School’s aquatic space limits the District’s ability to grow learn-to-swim and aquatic exercise programs
Community Input Process COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WAS OBTAINED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING MEANS:
Community surveys were conducted: Statistically valid version
Interviews conducted with 10 community leaders
Two open houses were held 402 responses received
made available by invitation only to random Naperville households Sent to 6,000 households; 290 completed An open version of the survey on the Park District website that anyone could complete
Focus group sessions included 84 total participants
to open house questionnaire
1,540 completed
Surveys posed a wide range of questions regarding facility familiarity, usage, satisfaction, recreation program needs and preference, and willingness to pay questions regarding the addition of a potential future recreation facility. Data from the statistical and open surveys were reviewed separately.
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Key Community Survey Findings
Residents indicated a strong interest in walking/jogging tracks, health and fitness spaces, and indoor aquatic facilities.
Willingness to Pay Respondents rated their interest in a potential, future multi-purpose activity center by indicating if they would be willing to pay additional property taxes (ranging from $60 to $85 per year for an average household for 20 years) if a bond referendum were voted on by residents in the future. ■ Unsure ■ No ■ Yes
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Residents indicated the greatest need for indoor aquatic facilities.
Unmet Facility Needs The majority of the respondents from the statistical and open survey samples rated aquatic facilities as unmet needs. ■ Random Sample ■ Public Sample
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Conclusion The Naperville Park District’s IRSNA provides insight into the current state of its facility utilization with recommendations for implementing efficiencies, considering resident input on recreation interests and needs, and assessing the need for a potential future facility. As the demand for indoor recreation continues to grow in Naperville, recommendations have been developed to optimize current facility use and guide future development of new and enhanced indoor recreational space. Overall, this assessment initiative brought to light four main areas for the Naperville Park District to focus on in the future: • Determine how to address the community’s strong demands for indoor aquatics, particularly for swimming lessons, aquatic therapy, and fitness swimming • Prioritize the expansion of indoor recreation in south Naperville (beyond the limited programs available at the 95th Street Center via a lease agreement) • Recognize any future indoor recreation programming needs to evolve and adapt, not only as national trends change, but also to address specifically the still growing and increasingly diverse population in Naperville • Understand that Naperville’s older population will continue the trend of “aging in place” and the District needs to focus on providing a wider range of fitness and wellness programs for older adults Next steps include Park District staff and board reviewing the IRSNA and prioritizing how to address shorter-term issues while understanding that longer-term initiatives will take long-range planning, goal setting, and support from the community.
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