With a new round of options for the future of the Beaver Meadow Golf Course Clubhouse now on the table, the committee responsible for reviewing them and making a recommendation to Concord City Council will meet Thursday morning for the first time in 10 months. 

Last year, facing public outcry, City Council hit the brakes on a $10.3 million proposal to build a new, far larger facility at the city’s golf course. In January, newly seated Mayor Byron Champlin said he wanted the city to consider more options for the building, including renovation, renovation with an addition and a more modest plan to rebuild.

Architects and city staff presented those options to the council last month. They include a $5.2 million plan to renovate the current clubhouse, a roughly $8 million plan to renovate and double the size of the building with an addition, and a slightly lower but also roughly $8 million proposal for a total rebuild of the facility, more than doubling its footprint. 

In December, city leaders were criticized for only reviewing the rebuild with a major revamp option for public consideration. The city previously leaned against renovation, citing limitations of the current space, which dates back to 1966. 

The capital improvement plan in this year’s city budget earmarks just under $6 million for this project in the coming budget cycle — $4.5 million would come directly from taxbill-funded bonds. If the city council pursues every capital project in its sights in 2026, that part of the budget would balloon to more than $60 million, more than six times the size of the capital budget this year and almost double what the city has spent on capital projects in the last five years combined. Major projects under consideration in next year’s budget are the clubhouse and a new police station with a price tag of well over $40 million. 

The 8 a.m. meeting Thursday of the Beaver Meadow Golf Course Building Committee at the golf course will include time for public comment. 

Catherine McLaughlin can be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com