BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Staff Writer
LAKE BUTLER — A group of Union County citizens has come together and formed a committee intended to facilitate the construction of a new recreation center at the O.J. Phillips Park that would offer and expansion of the recreational resources available to county residents of all ages.
At the regular meeting of the Union County Board of Commissioners, the Rev. Patrick Maxwell presented the board with information about the proposed project. He told them that the plans for what is proposed to be named the Union County Impact Center would include a multipurpose building, a skate park/playground/tennis court and a swimming pool, constructed in three phases. He told commissioners that the committee thought that the O.J. Phillips Park would be the ideal place to locate the center as it was in a good position to tie-in the center with existing activities and sports already being held there, was located in a neutral area of the county with ample parking space and close to the prison so as to be able to ask for assistance.
Maxwell said the multipurpose building could serve the community in many ways, including increasing nearby property values, helping to improve health through recreation, reducing the crime rate among children and young adults through positive activity, boosting students educational performance, providing before and after school child care, offering summer programs, enhancing public safety and serving as a shelter during and after natural disasters. He noted that some people had asked why not just bring in a YMCA or Boys and Girls Clubs but said he had researched that option and discovered that, if any of these organizations came in a built a facility that they would own it and would have complete control over programming. With the Impact Center, the county and community would have ownership and control over the activities allowed to take the center.
The cost of the complex would total between $4 million and $5 million, planned to be raised through grants, in kind giving/donations/fundraising and contributions from local residents. No county funds would be used in establishing the center, although Maxwell did note that Union County was one of only five counties in the state that did not have a special assessment for recreation. He also told commissioners that the center could at least partially fund itself as it developed through building rental fees, sports leagues (such as indoor basketball), memberships to the fitness center and gate entry fees for the games, pool and tournaments.
The estimated cost for the complex would be $3.5 million for the building, $200,000 for the skate park, $200,000 for the playground, $500,000 for the swimming pool and $200,000 in miscellaneous costs.
The multipurpose building and complex would include three full basketball courts with dividers between each court and electronic adjustable goals (6-10 feet), three volleyball courts, an outdoor swimming pool with a slide, an outdoor tennis/pickleball court, an outdoor skatepark, a fitness center, state of the art audiovisual and media systems, an office for the director and assistant director, an office for a secretary and, hopefully, a satellite station for the Union County Sheriff’s office. Also planned are a lobby/café area with reception and concession areas, a full size kitchen, a rock wall, at least six classrooms, major size locker rooms with showers, a generator and a solar array for routine power needs.
The project has already enlisted a number of local partners in support of the project, including Lake Butler Hospital, the Union County Health Department, local prisons, the Union County School District and several local colleges.
Maxwell listed a number of activities that the complex could provide room for, including basketball and volleyball tournaments, after school programs, indoor exhibits for the fair and carnivals, car and boat shows, community activities, concerts and dramas, meetings and parties.
Members of the Impact Center Committee include: Patrick Maxwell, Steve Hoard, Avery Roberts, Aaron Dukes, Pergina Maxwell, Charlotte Emerson, Stephanie Sellers, Philip Sellers, Randy Odom, Tasha Odom, Lindsey Reddish, Mike Spires, Jonathan Wright, George Green, Chris Dang, Ella Littles and Alicia Maxwell.
The board listened to Maxwell’s presentation, along with comments by Steve Hoard, but voiced no opinion on the matter and made no commitments. Should the project come to fruition, the county would own the facility (as it owns the property) and would have responsibility for it, including assuming any liability. The county would also have to assist with the project in the form of finding grants, since many are only available to governmental entities and not community organizations. It remains to be seen if the county will get on board with the project.
