In just one year, the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center has made enough of an impact for the City of Plant City to be granted the Planning and Design Award of Excellence.
The Hillsborough County Planning Commission presented the accolade during the 39th Annual Planning and Design Awards ceremony, on Oct. 27.
It was specifically for the entertainment and participation categories.
It’s in recognition for the community center being a thriving hub for activities and events in Plant City since it opened last year. It is also named after Sadye Gibbs Martin, who not only was a teacher, but the first African American, and woman, to serve as mayor in Plant City and Florida.
Annually, the planning commission allows Hillsborough County cities to submit entries for projects that have been completed in a five-year time frame. The Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center is a replacement for the former Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
The recreation center was established in 1960 and had additional building done in 1987.
“We shared the facility with the Boys and Girls Club and had two joint programs after school going on, and then we had the summer programs,” said Deborah Haldane, superintendent of the Plant City Parks and Recreation Department. “We would have tons of kids coming through the doors.”
Then in 2017, the recreational center suffered massive damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
“Unfortunately, its age was showing and had some water penetration issues,” said Jack Holland, director of the Plant City Parks and Recreation Department. The “go-to spot” was rendered unfit for use and the city commission decided not to invest any funds toward it but build a new recreation center in its place.
With a $6 million-dollar price tag, the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center was constructed and opened its doors to the public in August 2020.
With a full-time staff of 61, the Parks and Recreation Department has made efforts to incorporate the same as well as new amenities into the facility.
Spanning 30,000 square feet, it is equipped with two full-sized basketball courts, and multipurpose meeting rooms fitted with LED lighting, audio-visual technology, and energy-efficient climate control.
Just like the former, this community center offers summer programs, afterschool programs – including tutoring, and activities that cater to a wide range of demographics.
“There’s a lot of different things we can do in this building that we weren’t able to do in the old building,” explained Holland.
For those who are all about fitness, there are always dance, aerobics and Zumba classes available. Along with basketball, kids can also partake in pickleball, volleyball and summer camp programs.
The multi-purpose rooms are always occupied with classes for arts, crafts, and exercise. And there are also computers available – a convenience that students may not have access to at home.
Plant City schools take advantage as well, holding their own events. In fact, the community center has vans to pick up students after school.
As Marshall Middle Magnet School is across the road from the community center, its students take advantage of the short walk to go about their fun activities.
“Our staff does a really good job of creating relationships with the kids and the families,” said Julie Garretson, a supervisor within the Plant City Parks and Recreation Department. “The parents just love the things that we offer and just the type of people around their kids.”
The staff not only provides a space for fun activities for children, but also creates a safe haven for children who have personal issues and need a confidant to listen to them.
“Those relationships are priceless,” said Holland. “A facility like this makes it so much easier for us to make that impact.”
Plant City Mayor Rick Lott and the city commissioners also offer their support, serving as coaches and giving pep talks.
Often times, the facility is used to create special memories for special occasions.
It has become a suitable ceremonial ground for baby showers, gender reveal parties, memorial services, high school reunions, retirement parties, birthday parties, and holiday events.
Holland credits the community center’s success, and the award, to the comradery of the various city departments.
The new accolade acknowledges that the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center has become the new “go-to spot.”
“People come and you know everybody by their first name,” said Holland. “Even with 40,000 [residents], we can still do that in Plant City, because we’re really a big family.”