PI’s Community Center fund-raising chairs named
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
CHRIS BEAULIEU, director of the Presque Isle Park and Rec Department, provided City Council with an update recently on the proposed Community Center. Here, Beaulieu displays an architect’s rendering of the layout of the facility and land at the corner of Riverside Drive and Chapman Road where the facility would be placed.
By Kathy McCarty
PRESQUE ISLE — Fund-raising efforts for the proposed Community Center can now get under way in earnest, following City Council’s approval of husband and wife chairs of the fund-raising committee, Presque Isle residents Steve and Lucy Richard.
“Mr. Steve and Dr. Lucy Richard agreed to co-chair the committee. Once we have leaders of the band, I think the band members will show up quickly,” said City Manager Jim Bennett.
All seven councilors voted in favor of the couple to chair the committee.
Chris Beaulieu, director of the Recreation and Parks Department, was also on hand to offer an update on the project.
Beaulieu said about a year ago a task force determined what the project would entail, including reducing the structure from two stories to one to help save money. Next came selecting an architect, Northpeak Architecture, a local firm, and working closely with architect Mark Carter to design the building.
“We’ve really come close to finalizing the layout of the building,” said Beaulieu.
Beaulieu said the 30,000-square-foot structure is expected to cost around $7 million — down from nearly $10 million it would have cost for a two-story facility.
“One reason for the size is the dollar difference, going from two stories to one. Originally we had a walking track on the second floor. We were able to maintain a walking track on the first floor that still can work well,” said Beaulieu.
The site at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Chapman Road was recently surveyed for environmental impact, with results expected back soon.
Beaulieu said the next step will be getting together with the chairs to formalize a committee and start fund-raising.
“That process could start as early as this fall,” he said.
“We hope to have some colored renderings of the outside of the building as well as some scale models, which will be important in the fund-raising process,” said Beaulieu.
“The next step, once the building committee comes back with figures on costs, is to come back here and say ‘yes, that’s the building.’ That work won’t be done until you’ve given your approval,” said Bennett.
Bennett said he expected recommendations from the building committee in late summer or early fall.
“Then we’ll have to make decisions whether or not the project should move ahead and trigger fund-raising. Then we’ll decide if we want to allocate funds for the architect to move ahead with the next phase of design,” said the city manager, noting he felt enough had gone on to provide councilors with an update.
When asked by Councilor Dick Engels, “is there a place in your mind where the outdoor pool could go,” Beaulieu said there’s place for expansion.
