Over the past year, the city of Columbus and Lowndes County have put their focus and their money toward quality of life projects, specifically involving recreation.
Along with constructing a much-anticipated soccer park on 72 acres of land near downtown Columbus, the city and county have been working to improve the area”s neighborhood parks and community centers.
Overall, the $1.6 million neighborhood parks plan is about halfway done, Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority Director Roger Short said.
“We anticipated having everything done by December of this year,” he added, noting they are on schedule to meet that deadline.
“Neighborhood parks play an integral role in parks and recreation, and it gives these kids an outlet close to their homes,” Short said.
Most of the facilities owned by the CLRA were old and deteriorating. Other areas, Anderson Grove and New Hope, have never had a community center.
Through the neighborhood parks and community centers, the CLRA operates a host of classes, camps and senior programs; its facilities also are rented out for family and community events.
The Anderson Grove Community Center celebrated its grand opening Saturday.
Plans to purchase land for sports fields at Ola J. Pickett Park in Caledonia fell through when the town wanted to keep full ownership of the land. The $100,000 set aside for that project was transferred to Crawford. The CLRA is still in the early phases of erecting a community center at Crawford.
Renovation of the East Columbus Gym on Lawrence Drive is near completion.
The New Hope Community Center is within two to three weeks of completion.
Northaven Woods Park celebrated its grand opening at the end of April. The CLRA added a pavilion, walking trail and benches to that park.
The Sim Scott Community Center is in its early stages. Concrete was to be poured early this morning to prepare the site for its new building.
Site-ready buildings are being housed by Weathers Construction until the job sites are ready for them.
The Townsend Park Community Center”s “dirt pads have been prepared,” Short said, but city officials have requested it be moved 10 more feet back, away from the road. Townsend Park is at 11th Street and Ninth Avenue South.
Work has yet to begin on demolishing the old Charles Brown Gym on Ninth Street South and replacing it with an outdoor basketball pavilion.
Here”s a breakdown of what”s coming:
Anderson Grove community center
Status: complete
Projected cost: $265,000
Cost to date: $220,853.96
Caledonia land purchase
Status: terminated
Projected cost: $100,000
Cost to date: $0
Crawford Community Center
Status: pending
Projected cost: n/a
Cost to date: $191,631.30
East Columbus Gym
Status: 90 percent
Projected cost: $120,000
Cost to date: $122,954
New Hope Community Center
Status: 95 percent
Projected cost: $290,000
Cost to date: $188,224.15
Northaven Woods Park
Status: complete
Projected cost: $30,000
Cost to date: $31,533.24
Sim Scott Community Center
Status: early stages
Projected cost: $290,000
Cost to date: $189,062.15
Townsend Park Community Center
Status: early stages
Projected cost: $290,000
Cost to date: $176,879.10
Charles Brown Basketball Pavilion
Status: early stages
Projected cost: $100,000
Cost to date: $101,954.33
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