Grant Request - to Largo Mayor and CommissionersNorton W. Craig (Norton Craig) wrote Stephanie Waters Commissioner Holmes has requested if we can get federal grant dollars to build the Community Center and Highland Rec Center. Is there any grant funding that you are aware of that can be used for the construction of these two facilities. - Mac
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In response to your request regarding current federal funding for the Community Center and Highland Recreation, at this time I am not aware of any announced grant programs which would pay for such projects for a community such as ours. While some standard federal funding and Recovery Act funding has gone to other communities for similar projects, most recipients were rural and tribal communities. However, as new opportunities arise daily I will continue to seek out other funding opportunities through the federal and state governments as well as private foundations. In response to further requests from Commissioner Holmes are brief summaries of the projects in question: New Community Center Construction - The New Community Center Construction project will construct the City of Largo's first green facility built to LEED standards and the first facility with photovoltaic cells to harness solar energy. The new 30,000 ft2 facility will be constructed on donated land about two miles east of the current facility, which has well outlived its life expectancy, moving further from the downtown business district to an area with more space that is easily accessible by families and seniors. Included features of the new facility are an auditorium with stage and dressing rooms, dance rooms with specialized flooring, arts and crafts rooms with kiln access, a full kitchen, general purpose meeting and card rooms, an adaptable fitness center with specialized equipment for the elderly and disabled, and a community garden. The Community Center will also be hurricane resistant up to 140 mph and is designed to serve as a back-up for City operations during and after a storm event. The City has received over $450,000 in Recovery Act funding for the photovoltaic cell portion of the project, however $500,000 is still needed to provide a 1,000 kW generator needed to run city operations during an emergency. Highland Recreation Complex Reconstruction - The Highland Recreation Complex Reconstruction project will reconstruct the existing Highland Recreation Complex (Recreation Complex) and renovate the existing Highland Family Aquatic Center (Aquatic Center). The Recreation Complex' major change will be increasing from 25,000 ft2 to up to 40,000 ft2 through the demolition of the existing 38 year old metal building and the construction of a new green facility built to LEED standards. Overall improvements to the complex include replacement of the basketball courts, relocation of the skate park, the addition of lighted multi-purpose fields, reconstruction of the 35 year old tennis courts, and improvements to the general site including park, sidewalk and trail modifications, parking and roadway enhancements and additional storage. Aquatic Center changes include the integration of a bathhouse, renovation of the cool deck, resurfacing of the corkscrew slide, replacement of the filtration system and replacement of the play structure. All these changes are in response to the growing needs of our community over the past 35 years, the desire of the community for facilities which are more energy efficient and lower operational costs, and to provide a more stable, long term structure. - Stephanie Waters
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