Commission to discuss community center concept

The cost of bringing the Bayfront Park Recreation Center into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and the Florida Building Code would likely fall between $125,000 and $150,000, according to a due diligence report by the St. Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects Inc.

But the Longboat Key Town Commission will discuss at its 2 p.m. Thursday, March 15 workshop a costlier option that is gaining support from many Key residents: a community center that would likely cost just under $7 million to construct. Wanne-

macher Jensen Architects, which designed a prospectus for the proposed center, will present at the workshop during which town staff will seek direction from the commission.

In addition to construction costs, total operating costs are estimated at $350,000 to $400,000 annually, not including potential revenue that could be generated through grants and gifts, concessions, event tickets, site revenue from sources such as shelter rentals, outdoor concerts, kayak rentals and garden-plot fees and programs offered through vendor-leasing space.

The town held public meetings in January and February to seek feedback about the prospectus, the first of which drew approximately 50 people. During the meetings, Mayor Jim Brown told residents that although voters would need to approve a bond for the project up front, private funding sources are available that could cover most of the $7 million cost. But, costs aside, residents have expressed other concerns about a community center. Longboat Key Public Works Director Juan Florensa said that other issues were addressed at the meetings.

“They expressed concern about the uses of some of the facilities now, and we wanted to make sure that they knew that all of those uses would be available in the new facility,” he said.

Susan Goldfarb, executive director of the Longboat Key Education Center, said at the first meeting that many of the programs proposed for the facility could compete with her organization. She reiterated many of those concerns Monday to the Longboat Observer, saying she wouldn’t stand in the way of a facility that residents wanted, but she also expressed concerns about the potential overlap in programming.

“Everything that they’ve spoken of is something that’s already been done,” Goldfarb said. “The minute they offer a book club or a movie-watching course, how could they not be duplicating me?”

Construction cost estimates
Building:  $3,338,125
Park and site work: $1,460,015
Construction, permit fees, bond, etc.:  $938,404
Architecture/engineering, survey, testing, design:  $625,635
Contingency: $519,814
Total: $6,881,993