City commissioners approved the new MLK community center design cost estimate on Monday night and authorized City Manager Bill McDaniel to proceed with the final design of the project.
The vote also allowed plans to begin for demolition of the existing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center. McDaniel estimates the demolition will be complete in the next four weeks.
The budget for the project was $4,500,000 and the estimated cost that was approved during the commission meeting totaled
at $4,419,764. This is an estimate, so essentially it is what the Lunz Group architects believe the facility will look like.
Now that the first step has been approved, they can finalize the plans and bring them back to the city commission with a complete plan and cost. If the commissioners approve that plan, they can begin accepting bids from construction companies. This process should only take a handful of months and Recreation and Parks Director Jack Holland’s estimated opening date of July 9, 2019 is still on the table.
The Lunz Group is drawing alternatives into the plan in case commissioners decide there is room in the budget to add these incentives. These alternatives include items like a wood sports floor and exterior fans. The current budget does not allocate for the addition of outdoor basketball courts, however, Holland said he plans to use future budgets to add those to the property.
The nearly 30,000 square-foot building will have more than 100 parking spaces. There have been multiple questions regarding sustainability from community input meetings and the plan is to use elements like energy efficient lights and plumbing features as well as recyclable roofing materials and other construction materials to meet those needs.
Timothy Wagoner, director and senior architect at The Lunz Group, said the current budget does not allow for solar to be added to the site, but that it could be added at a later date to either the roof of the gymnasium or to an exterior location. New technology allows the solar to be attached to the roof without it piercing the material.
For more information on the proposed center check out our in-depth article on the concept.
“It’s not every day you build a facility like that in this city,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “It’s a very proud moment for Plant City.”