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Field house feasibility study in Rifle to hopefully go forward

The staff from the city of Rifle has begun discussing if they can implement a field house into the city for the benefit of all residents. 

“Rifle’s always kicked the idea around,” said Austin Rickstrew, director of Parks and Recreation for Rifle. “It’s been talked about for maybe 20 years. It’s been a long drawn out process and it’s needed in town for sure.”

A recent assessment survey in 2024 from Parks and Rec came back with a field house as the number one need and want from residents. The survey piqued Rifle City Council’s interest, Rickstrew said. 



“Mayor Strode brought it to the council workshop (on Jan. 15),” Rickstrew said. “So we’re going to look at the costs, where it can go, how it’s going to be paid for, stuff like that.”

There are no plans on paper, but Rickstrew said they’ll be doing a feasibility study, which will survey for funding options, good locations, what it needs and amenities that the community wants in it. 



“We’ll be doing it for the next year-ish — it depends on how fast we can get a contractor, how long it takes to get the data in,” Rickstrew said. 

Field houses, Rickstrew said, have more of a focus on gym space, workout areas and don’t necessarily have an indoor pool, unlike a community center, and is smaller than a community center. 

“A good example of a field house is in Fort Morgan,” Rickstrew said. “It was built in 2020 or 2021 and it has a running track, a yoga studio. A field house can be anything you make it.”

Rifle’s city staff has only just started on the process and won’t have much to show for it until after they do the studies, but Patrick Waller, the city manager of Rifle, said it was time. 

“Rifle definitely could benefit from this,” he said. 

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