Long before the calendar turned to 2017, Austin already had a big year on its hands. And much of the New Year’s upcoming activity will center on a trio of major projects.

The new interpretive center of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center and the new Hy-Vee are both slated to open in the first half of 2017, but a young project could garner a lot of attention: the Austin Community Recreation Center.

Here are three major development projects shaping Austin’s 2017 and the community for years to come:

Austin Community Recreation Center

In 2016, the Austin YMCA, Vision 2020 and the city of Austin reached a deal to make the former downtown Austin Utilities Plant the future home of the Austin Community Recreation Center, but a lot of work remains.

“I think everyone is really excited, obviously, that the project was approved and both sides were able to come to an agreement,” Vision 2020 Director Greg Siems said.

Chiefly, the groups involved must start raising $5 million in a capital campaign to cover the public portions of the facility and the groups need to begin discussing the design of the building.

“Once the new year rolls around, we’ll be able to really move forward and launch those things,” Siems said last week.

Organizational work will start on those in the early months of 2017, and Siems said they’ll hire a consultant to help with the capital campaign and an architect for the building design.

A few things are already set to go in the rec center, which will center around a new YMCA. An aquatic center, a gymnastics area,  a Youth Activity Center, an indoor playground, community meeting spaces, and the workout rooms and classroom associated with most YMCAs will be included.

“Those will be the big main things,” Siems said.

However, Siems admitted a lot of the details still need to be worked out.

That process will require input from the all the stakeholders in the project: the YMCA, the city, Vision 2020 and the community.

“We want to get as much input from as many different places as we can,” Siems said.

Construction and open dates are “still pretty fuzzy right now,” but Siems and others hope to have a timeline as things begin to move forward.

The Austin City Council in October approved an amended lease agreement for the $35 million Austin Community Recreation Center to be built at the downtown Austin Municipal Plant.

The rec center is expected to cost $35 million to build with $25 million pledged by The Hormel Foundation, $5 million from Hormel Foods Corp. and another $5 million is to be raised through a community campaign.

After much work that’s already been done, the finish line is in sight, but Siems admits they’re still a long ways off.

“There’s a renewed energy, I think, and people are really excited to get to work on this,” he said.

Siems encouraged anyone who has questions or opinions to contact him at 507-437-3448 or Matt Cano at 507-437-3523.

“We’re just looking forward to creating this great thing for the community,” Siems said.

For more information, visit http://www.vision2020austin.com/pages/our-committees/community-recreation-center/contact-info/.

Hy-Vee ticking toward spring completion

Hy-Vee’s work to build a 60,000- to 90,000-square-foot complex at the former Oak Park Mall is ticking ahead toward an expected spring completion.

The roof, exterior masonry, parking lot and sidewalks are complete, as is the interior concrete slab and flooring. Work continues on exterior glass, and signs will be placed in the upcoming weeks. Interior framing with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing is underway.

Transition entrances to access the movie theater and Anytime Fitness are underway.

Hy-Vee acquired the Oak Park Mall last November with help from the city of Austin, the Austin Port Authority and a $3.65 million grant from The Hormel Foundation.

Nature center’s new building slated for April 22 opening

The $7 million Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is taking shape and on track to be completed by this year’s Earth Day on April 22, as of late last year.

The structure, encompassing almost 15,000 square feet, triples the size of the current visitors center, according to Director Luke Reese.

A $5 million grant from the Hormel Foundation got things moving, he said. Since then, $500,000 was received from the city of Austin; $300,000 from Hormel Foods Corp.; and $1.2 million raised through the Friends of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.