Work towards new Community Center continues

    “When is the new community center building going up?” is a question I receive almost daily. It is a question that one would hope would have a simple answer.
    However, as the Community Center Committee has learned with a project such as this, nothing is simple. Creating a new community center is a multi-step, multi-faceted project.  While a lot of the preparation is done simultaneously, one step must be completed before you can move onto the next. Hurdles and challenges, not the least of which are the financial considerations, remain to be addressed and overcome.
    The good news is that the City and the Community Center Committee are still working towards making a new community center a reality for Presque Isle.
    This project will be a considerable investment for the citizens of this community and the timing is very important. With the current economic climate, most of us are feeling varying levels of financial strain. Due to these conditions, the City Council has prudently determined that it would be best to hold off on actual construction until the economic forecast improves. However, the Council has instructed the Committee to continue its effort in laying the ground work for the project. While construction certainly won’t happen this spring, we are confident it will happen in the very near future.
    Toward that end, the City and the Committee have been diligently working in preparation for future construction. Much of the property has been acquired at the Chapman Street site and demolition of buildings has begun to clear the land in preparation for construction. This coming spring, the Department of Environmental Protection will return to complete its necessary remediation efforts for final cleanup of the property. Once that is complete, the site should be ready for construction, even if we are not.
    Engineers and architects have been busy designing and laying out the new building. Negotiations for additional land and adjustments to the plans are ongoing. The City currently has an application out for a grant to improve the existing Riverside Park area and possibly assist with the acquisition of the final needed parcel for the community center.
    Beginning in 2009, the Committee will bring in a firm to perform a feasibility study for our community. This study will help us pinpoint the capacity of funds that we should be able to raise. Once that is determined, we can set our fund raising goals and a full-on capital campaign can take place by 2010. At the same time the Committee continues to look for funding sources including special financial programs, grants and other possible contributors.
    The public has been very supportive of the City’s efforts so far. The Community Center Committee continues to solicit ideas from the public about the project. We welcome all input. This will be your building and we want to be sure that it is done right with the needs of the community in mind. Collaboration with the Downtown Revitalization Committee has been ongoing and we are excited about playing our part in their efforts to bring new life to the downtown area. With the creation of this facility, our goal is to offer a fun, safe, healthy and positive destination that helps improve the lives of the young, the old and everyone in between.
    For questions or to share your thoughts on this project or other Presque Isle Recreation and Parks areas or programs please contact me at 764-2545 or e-mail at chrispirec@maine.rr.com. You may also check out our Web site at pirec.org.
    Chris Beaulieu is Presque Isle’s Director of Recreation & Parks.