SCHERERVILLE | The unveiling of a $13 million price tag for a proposed Schererville recreation center left town officials asking where they could scale back the project and how they could pay for it all.

Fritz Hengge, a chief architect with McDonough Associates Inc. on Wednesday updated the Town Council and the Park Board on plans for the rec center, which would be built on the former site of the Scherwood Club banquet hall off Joliet Street.

The firm proposed a 63,450-square-foot facility, broken into two portions, for the site. The two-story community center part would cost an estimated $7.6 million, and the one-story gym with an elevated jogging track would run about $5.4 million, Hengge said.

Councilman Jerry Tippy said that, in 2006, a program analysis estimated that a 40,000-square-foot facility would cost the town $6 million. He asked why Wednesday's presentation showed a 50 percent increase in the size of the building but a more than 100 percent increase in the cost, Tippy said.

Town Manager Bob Volkmann said there was no set budget, but the firm was asked to design to a square footage. A big reason for the jump in square footage was the addition of a third gym floor for basketball courts, he said.

Town Council President Hal Slager said the first step is determining the operating cost of the facility and identifying a way to pay for the construction, likely through a bond.

Councilman Rob Guetzloff said the council needs to make sure it is watching taxpayer dollars. But it also needs to ensure the building meets the needs of the community and won't be outgrown in 15 years.

The purpose of the building is to centrally locate the town's recreational programs, which are scattered around town in leased space, Councilman Tom Schmitt said.

Councilman Perry Ferrini said his problem with the rec center is that there are too many "ifs" and questions that should've been asked during the last two years. Ferrini said there's no data to support the design that McDonough presented.

Plans for the rec center include three basketball/volleyball courts, an eighth-mile elevated jogging track, weight room, cardio/dance space, subdividable arts and crafts room, senior room and child care facilities for patrons.