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The Christiansburg Aquatic Center was designed with dual functionality as a competitive and community facility. It is meant to be an asset to the town and points far beyond the New River Valley.

As Terry Ellen Carter exemplified in last Sunday's NRV Current, however, there is an undercurrent of discontent that paints the aquatic center as a poor utilization of finances and insinuates its design and construction process are somehow distasteful ("Questions persist about the aquatic center").

This is simply not the case.

Project plans originated from Christiansburg's 19952005 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which called for the 2005 construction of an "aquatic center." The center was always meant to have separate competitive, play and therapy pools -- not just a single pool.

Community support for the project was based on a 1994 scientifically representative survey of town residents naming swimming as their preferred activity and identifying a pool as the top "recreational facility you would like to see built."

Preliminary discussions and roundtables occurred between 2001 and 2004.

Partnerships with neighboring universities were also pursued, as the facility held potential to enhance swimming and diving programs while strengthening school ties with the community.

Lionberger Construction approached the town and its architect to gather information about the project and the potential partnership with Virginia Tech. They subsequently submitted an unsolicited proposal offering to construct the center through a public-private partnership.

These partnerships are encouraged under the Public-Private Educational Facilities Infrastructure Act of 2002. Advantages include paying a set construction price and working with familiar material suppliers and subcontractors that are of known quality. Solicited or unsolicited construction bids are allowed, with public notification required for the latter.

Christiansburg's public notification yielded several phone inquiries but no other bids were received. This may be due to the project size or the initial capital needed to complete the job, plus companies weren't nearly as hungry for work just a few short years ago.

Project design was divided into Phase I and Phase II. Phase I allowed construction to begin, while Phase II included finishing details, such as the specific location of toilet partitions. The latter phase also included the significant change to a 50-meter pool to accommodate competitive needs. A Phase III for the project simply does not exist.

The additional $2 million cost of a larger pool is being directly paid for by Tech. Its desire to pay this difference over time, in addition to $94,000 annually for the increased operating expenses that come with a larger pool, equals a $5 million contribution to the aquatic center over the next 20 years -- $250,000 annually.

Tech's presence means balancing the needs of individuals and groups who utilize the pools. Access to the competition pool will be limited during team practices but the rest of the facility -- including lanes in the play pool -- will remain open to the public. Large competitions that occasionally overtake the facility will be well publicized in advance.

By its nature, upkeep limits an aquatic center's ability to be self-supporting. Extensive research conservatively indicates 50 percent of operating expenses are recouped through membership fees and rentals, leaving $1.5 million to be covered by the town's budget. This need is countered by an influx of dining and lodging dollars, appeal to future development and the tremendous benefit to the community's quality of life.

Also consider this: The town's budget annually supplements the recreation center and wastewater treatment plant $2 million each to cover operating costs. Additional classes at the recreation center still cost a separate fee beyond the free membership, and wastewater service brings a monthly bill to residents.

Services cost money, yet rarely is anyone heard lamenting about unnecessary access to recreation amenities or indoor plumbing. Charging reasonable membership or programming fees for those wishing to use the aquatic center is directly in line with this model.

The aquatic center exemplifies what can be accomplished through creative collaboration and leveraging resources. While we share in the pain of the current recession, there are no plans to raise real estate taxes to pay for this venture. Instead, town council and administration successfully established partnerships to give Christiansburg residents the benefit of a world-class facility in their own back yard.

Numerous events are in the works to allow the community to get acquainted with the aquatic center and all its offerings. We are confident it will be recognized as a spectacular asset that will reap rewards for many years to come.

Becky Hawke is the public relations officer for Christiansburg.