Just a day after visiting with Allen County commissioners with plans for a new activity center, ACC president John Masterson toured three facilities ? two in state and one in Missouri ? looking for ideas for the new center.
Masterson visited Johnson County Community College, Highland Community College and Missouri Western on Wednesday.
Allen Community College President John Masterson stopped by Highland County Community College, which features a 160-meter indoor track. ACC plans on building a new activity center with a 220-meter track. COURTESY PHOTO
?It?s hard to really visualize what something like this will look like, until you visit a facility like what we want to build,? he said. ?It was a great trip. We were able to talk to school officials at each school and ask them questions. I asked each of them what they would do differently, and everyone was very forthcoming in sharing information with us.?
Masterson will take his plans for different versions of an activity center on the Allen Community College campus to Iola?s City Council meeting on Monday night. He said this will be the last meeting he has about the project until after the November elections.
?This election is very significant, maybe not so much with the county, but with two, possibly three spots changing on the school?s (ACC?s) Board of Trustees, as well some changes on the city council,? Masterson said. ?When that gets settled, we will then move forward with talks about possible partnerships. I am always hesitant going to the county, because more times than not it is to get more money. But I wanted to show them what we are looking at doing and give them an opportunity to join, as well the community an opportunity to be a part of something for the betterment of the county and all its residents.?
?Hopefully the people support it. We know what we can do individually without partnerships, but when you work collectively on a project this big, it?s not as daunting. Doing something like this by yourself can be overwhelming.?
Each school on Wednesday?s tour offered at least one aspect the school would like to incorporate.
ACC president John Masterson made a stop at Johnson County Community College on Wednesday to view its Fieldhouse to get ideas for the new activity center. COURTESY PHOTO
JCCC has a storm shelter, which is high on the list of wants for the school.
?It was above ground, which I am not really fond of, I think it should be built below ground,? Masterson said. ?But they didn?t use a FEMA grant, either.?
The school sent off its grant application on Thursday to meet this year?s deadline.
In addition to a storm shelter, JCCC has a 43,000-square-foot area that houses a 200-meter six lane indoor track.
