ASBURY, Iowa — In an effort to learn how to better utilize the space at The Meadows Golf Club in Asbury, a committee has been formed to study the building and the possible renovations it may need.

Members of the Meadows Space Utilization Committee, which consists of two Asbury City Council members, the mayor and two residents, held their second meeting Wednesday to discuss possible plans for the building.

Mayor Jim Adams said the city has been discussing how to better use the building and what it would cost to turn it into a year-round facility for a while. After recently reviewing bids for repair work needed on the building’s deck, it decided to invest more time into studying the building.

“The deck needs some repairs and that turned out to be more extensive than we thought and that (discussion) turned into the utilization of the building and the upcoming maintenance issues,” Adams said. “Based on that, the council wanted to hold off (on the deck) and look into its use in the future and what it’s going to be used for.”

Adams said cost estimates to repair the deck were more than $200,000.

The lower level of the building is currently a golf pro shop and bar and grill and the top floor is an event center. But the event center goes unused for at least four months out of the year, Adams said.

“We would like to have a more consistent year-round revenue so that is kind of the purpose behind the study,” he said. “Neither (level) is configured efficiently. We’ve looked at this in the past, but we have never taken it to this level of considering a remodel.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, committee members agreed to send out requests for proposals to local architecture firms Straka Johnson Architects and IIW, which will put together conceptual designs to give the committee and the council a better idea of how the building can be utilized. The City Council plans to review the designs during its April 13 meeting.

Ideas for ways to better utilize the building included adding a community center, creating a fitness area, using space for snow-shoe rentals and adding an area for pickleball.

City Council and committee member Bob Reisch said he first wants to see how the building can be renovated to improve the golf amenities currently offered. From there, they can decide if there is any room to provide other amenities.

“I think we look at our No. 1 business and see what we are using the space for and if we have the extra space, then we move on from there,” he said.