Thornhill, who has been a major force behind getting the rec center built in Chief Logan State Park, said he wants the rec center to be a place everyone can go for recreation and exercise.
"We want the rec center to be accessible to everyone," Thornhill said in a discussion prior to the Kiwanis Club meeting. "We don't want people to think this is a country club. We want it to be affordable for everyone. This is important not just for recreation, but also for the health and wellness it can bring.
"It's in a great location, 15 minutes from Mingo County and 15 minutes from Boone County, so it's accessible to everyone throughout the coal fields. This will be a big boost to our region."
Thornhill gave the Kiwanis Club of Logan an update about the long-awaited facility during their weekly meeting on Thursday.
"We are about three weeks behind on building the pool," Thornhill explained, saying obtaining steel for construction has led to minor delays. The center should be announcing its director soon. Thornhill said that out of 32 applicants the board has narrowed the list down to two potential directors.
There have been some improvements on the initial design of the facility as well, Thornhill said, explaining that the indoor swimming pool will now have eight lanes instead of six and it will be deeper. A swimming coach from the University of Charleston has been involved with the project and he gave the board advice about what is actually needed.
Thornhill said many people are excited about the possibilities the pool will bring with it.
In addition to being used by the public, the pool will also be utilized by therapists and patients from Logan Regional Medical Center and the local school system which will finally be able to field a swim-team.
"Our eight lane pool will be bigger than most YMCA's," he noted. "The one in Hunting ton is a six lane pool. We've never had a year round swimming pool," Thornhill said. "This new facility will give you the ability to go work out or play tennis and then swim all at one facility without having to go home. The BOE gets an opportunity to have swimming teams and they won't have to pay for building pools in the school."
Thornhill pointed out that the county pool at Chief Logan Park is the busiest pool in a park in West Virginia during summer months, and said he feels the new rec center pool will be the busiest in a state park year round.
Thornhill said there are other possibilities to the rec center which has room to grow and develop. He said he doesn't want the public to perceive of the facility as being like a country club, as it will be closer to a family YMCA. Thornhill said he would like to see sponsors for the facility so the membership price can stay low.
"We want to keep it around a dollar a day for families," he said, noting that having a YMCA type recreation center would also benefit area businesses who could utilize the health and fitness center to help employees improve their health and see insurance costs go down.
"It will take the business community and the County Commission to make this a go," he said, noting that the Earl Ray Tomblin Convention Center has been quite successful and has even turned over payment to the state unlike facilities in other parks. Thornhill noted many businesses and agencies use the convention center for trainings, such as the WV Auto Dealers Association and the Charleston Area Medical Center. Having it in the park leads to other advantages as well. Thornhill noted that Bruce Collinsworth and his staff at Chief Logan State Park keep the grass cut and the property maintained so the rec center, which is a non-profit entity won't have to hire people to do such maintenance work.
"The road leads to us," Thornhill said. "It is our time for progress."
Thornhill said that with people moving back to Logan County from more urban areas more recreational venues will be needed and expected.
Thornhill said the expected completion date should be around May or June 2009.
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