BROOKINGS — The city is finalizing plans to acquire ownership of the Fifth Street Gym from the Brookings School District, a move that will also bring with it a laundry list of fixes and improvements estimated to cost $2.6 million.

In a Tuesday news release, the city said the pending acquisition — the district declared the gym at 606 Fifth St. as surplus property and listed for $500,000 in November — will not be an additional burden for taxpayers. That’s because necessary improvements will be paid for out of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department’s existing capital improvement plan.

City Manager Paul Briseno said in the release that the city will prioritize maintaining existing facilities while deferring some new park amenities in order to cover its investment in the Fifth Street Gym.

“Our focus remains on maintaining and enhancing our current assets,” Briseno said. “By making strategic adjustments to our budget, we are confident we can meet both the short-term needs and long-term goals for this facility.”

According to the release, the city has long faced ongoing challenges with limited gym space, making scheduling programs, leagues, and community activities difficult. The city’s acquisition of the gym will provide a dedicated space for these services.

“The demand for indoor recreation has steadily increased with our community’s growth,” Kristin Zimmerman, director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, said in the release. “By investing in the Fifth Street Gym, we can better serve residents while supporting both youth and adult programs.”

The acquisition is pending, with action on various aspects of it still required from not only the school district, but Brookings County — which owns the gym’s parking lot — and the City Council.

Once ownership is secured, improvements to address current and future needs of the gym will be undertaken.

“We want to ensure the Fifth Street Gym will remain a vibrant hub for community engagement and recreation programs well into the future,” Briseno said in the release.

It’s quite a laundry list of improvements, too, according to earlier reporting in the Brookings Register. In an August story, Zimmerman said the $2.6 million estimate came after an inspection of the gym by Jared Thomas, the city’s chief building official:

• Brick façade: $131,000
• EIFS material: $200,000
• ADA entrance: $42,000
• Interior/exterior doors and lighting: $155,000
• Roof membrane: $300,000
• Bathrooms (not ADA-compliant): $300,000
• Interior wall repair and repaint: $110,000
• Air handler: $1 million
• Vault pit: $20,000
• Sprinkler and fire alarm systems: $350,000

These numbers are estimates, of course, and could see some slight tweaking. On top of that, though, are the yearly operating costs, which would be between $100,000 and $150,000.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the Brookings School District and Brookings County to deliver a long-term solution for our community,” Mayor Oepke “Ope” Niemeyer said in the release. “This is an investment in our residents, our programs and the future of Brookings.”

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.