Monday, April 6, 2026 |
Photo – Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming – Bigfoot99 file photo
Saratoga officials are preparing to meet with Boys and Girls Club representatives to discuss the possibility of a new joint recreation center.
During the April 1st Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mayor Chuck Davis announced that Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming Chief Executive Officer Ashley Bright had reached out to arrange a meeting with the governing body. Mayor Davis said the discussion would need to occur during a public workshop and suggested dates for the meeting.
In 2022, Saratoga resident Nick Haderlie proposed building an indoor swimming facility to serve the Platte Valley. However, projected operating costs proved too high and the project was eventually set aside.
Last year, Haderlie met with representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming to remove the pool from his original plan and rework the concept into a more traditional recreation center. Speaking to Bigfoot99 in February, Chief Executive Officer Ashley Bright explained that the proposed facility would feature two separate gymnasiums: one operated by the Boys and Girls Club and the other by the town of Saratoga.
The proposed $15.5 million facility would be built on town-owned land between the Saratoga Middle High School and the library on West Elm Avenue. Saratoga would retain ownership of the property, while the Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming would own the facility and lease the second gymnasium back to the town, with a local board of directors overseeing the Platte Valley facility. The Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming estimated that 250 young people will utilize the facility.
Last November, the Saratoga Town Council approved a resolution expressing support for the proposed recreation center and granting the organization access to the land on Elm Avenue for testing. Speaking to Bigfoot99, CEO Ashley Bright said housing both Club and municipal activities in the same building would ensure reliable year-round services that meet the needs of residents.
The Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming is working on a feasibility study to determine if the combined recreation center would work in Saratoga. Bright emphasized that the plan has not yet been finalized.
At the April 1st Saratoga Town Council meeting, the governing body scheduled its meeting with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming for April 22nd at 6:00 p.m. in the town hall.
