California officials still banking on constructing a community center
CALIFORNIA – In order to bring a new community center to California, Mayor Gerald Gardner said officials plan to develop a new recreation authority that could make it easier for the borough to acquire funding for the project. The authority consists of five California citizens, including Ray Huffman, J. Budd Grebb, Alan Bowden, Amelia Gajun-Mitchell and Mark Nowak. Gardner said the authority members would continue the design and construction of the community center project, as well as handle other recreational matters that would benefit residents of California and the surrounding areas.
“The authority has not yet been approved in Harrisburg,” said Gardner. “I will be working with Rep. Pete Daley to have that done shortly, and then we’ll be off to the races.”
Gardner said that he has been working with a steering committee for the past 11 months to devise a plan for the community center. Saturday was the group’s first public meeting, which he said was held for the purpose of getting further input from the community.
“I am very optimistic that this project will happen,” said Gardner. “I just can’t say exactly when. But it is very important that we have the input of the community on this. I’m very unhappy with the recreation in this community because there is none. This new facility will be for recreation and a community center that we desperately need in the community.”
Civil engineer Harry Hall volunteered his time to work on the conceptual plan for the project. He spoke with community members at the meeting about ideas that the steering committee had talked about to find out which ones they were interested in having at the new facility.
Hall said the facility site, near Pennsylvania Avenue, seemed quite suitable for building.
“Even as a resident here, I never got the concept of what this property was,” said Hall. “And as the mayor has said, it has been designated for recreation. For development purposes, everything is there that we’ll need.”
Hall said the property is near residential areas, as well as the California University of Pennsylvania campus. It will also be close to the interchange when the Mon Valley Fayette Expressway is completed.
On the downside, Hall said they will have to conduct testing to develop the property, which will increase costs. He also thought it might be necessary to build a connecting street from Edison Street to Route 88, so that increased traffic would not become a problem.
So far, Hall said the plan is to have a 60,000-square-foot building. He said some ideas the steering committee discussed include an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center with a weight room and instruction, meeting rooms for community groups, a bowling alley, a multi-purpose room with the capacity to seat about 250 people, a commercial kitchen, locker rooms, a walking track, and multi-media rooms with computers and projection units.
These were items that some residents indicated on a survey conducted by the steering committee. Hall pointed out that these were things that “may or may not stay with the project,” depending on what the community determines are the greatest needs.
“At this point, the building is a clean slate,” said Hall. “We need to see what the community thinks the needs are to get this project moving.”
By a show of hands, those who attended the meeting indicated that they would like to see a swimming pool, multi-purpose room and fitness center, but were not really in favor of a bowling alley, climbing wall or racquetball courts. They also said they would like to have a multi-media room, where computer classes could possibly be offered.
“We want to avoid duplicating what we already have in the community,” said Gardner, adding that the people who attended seemed to have the same ideas for the community center as the steering committee.
Gardner said that they still are not sure where funds will come from.
“We will fund it any way we can,” said Gardner. “We may be able to get grants, and we will talk to some people who have a lot of money who may be interested in aiding the project. We will have to set up costs in the business plan.”
There was also concern about how the facility would be funded when it was built.
“What we really need are volunteers,” said Grebb, explaining that volunteers would also help the community before the new facility arrives. “There is more than one family in this community and they don’t all work at the same time, but we have to want to do this for the benefit of the community.”
Gardner agreed that when the community center first opens, volunteers will be the best way to help it operate.
“I know I would be glad to give a couple of hours of my time to supervise areas of the facility, and we have others who would as well,” said Gardner. “I think that is how you do things until you get on your feet. If someone can’t devote a couple hours of time, then we’re in bad shape.”
The steering committee is planning other public meetings for the public to convey their ideas about the project. Although they don’t know when the next meeting will be scheduled, Gardner said it would be advertised, and they will meet as soon as possible.