Thursday, October 28, 1999
Forest Park wants community center
BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FOREST PARK — Residents want a community center, and they would rather it be built through partnership with a health care organization than with higher taxes.
That conclusion was based on a recent telephone survey. The city now will use the survey results to determine the next step in creating a community center.
It could involve partnering with Mercy Healthplex to build a facility similar to ones in Fairfield and Anderson Township. One option is having Mercy build the center and open parts of it to users from areas outside Forest Park.
Residents favored that option over raising taxes, accord ing to the $15,000 survey conducted by Springdale's John Fox Marketing Consultants.
The survey polled 401 people about a community center. Seventy-two percent said they were interested in the idea, and more than half said they would use a center at least sometimes.
When asked how they preferred to pay for the project, estimated at $12 million to $15 million to build and $1 million annually to run, people were given two options: a tax increase with the center open to all Forest Park residents and minimal dues, or a facility built by a health care organization that would charge higher dues, and with portions open to folks outside Forest Park.
Sixty-eight percent preferred the latter.
“Clearly taxes, or the lack thereof, are on the minds of the citizens of Forest Park when it comes to funding this project,” Mr. Fox told City Council this week.
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