Community Center construction begins

Winter Park city officials shoveled dirt into the air on Aug. 25, marking the start of construction for the new Winter Park Community Center. It also signals the winding down of a two-year partnership between the city and Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.

Two days after the groundbreaking, Boys & Girls Clubs sent a letter to the parents of about 75 children who participate in the city’s after-school program informing them that the city did not renew its contract with the Winter Park branch, opting instead to run the programs internally, beginning Sept. 30.

The reason — budget constraints. Running the programs in house instead of contracting them out will save the city about $254,000 a year.

The city brought in Boys & Girls Clubs to run the youth development programs at the old community center in October 2008. The after-school program was moved to the Azalea Lane Recreation Center so the old community center could be torn down to clear the land for the new one. Because Azalea is a smaller space, programming has since been restricted.

“Because we are in a small facility and very aware of the type of programming they do, we decided to not continue the contract this year just for financial and not performance reasons,” said John Holland, Winter Park Parks and Recreation Department director.

Some are worried that the children, who are mostly from low-income families, will not get the same level of care from the city.

But Holland said the city-run programming will mirror Boys & Girls Clubs programming, including their acclaimed homework and tutoring sessions. He said the city may even end up hiring some of the Winter Park branch staff.

“I think we can match their programs,” he said. “I don’t think the kids will skip a beat.”

Tina Ashe, director of marketing and communications for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, said the organization is confident that the city can maintain the same quality. She said it will be especially important to solicit feedback about the new city programs from the families involved.

“Listening to the families will be huge,” she said.

Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley said he’s heard mixed feelings from the community about the partnership ending, but he said he hasn’t formed an opinion on it. He did say that the city is facing some tight budget years ahead.

“We’re looking for every penny in the budget to ensure we can provide services without an increase in taxes,” Bradley said.

To contract the nonprofit organization for another year would have cost the city about $350,000. The city’s total programming staff budget, which includes adult programming, would have been about $514,000. By canceling the contract and hiring staff for its programs, the city brings the total cost of adult and child programming to $260,000.

The city plans to hire four full-time employees, including a recreation programs manager, and four part-timers to operate the new 38,000-square-foot Community Center, which should be in operation by 2012. Bradley said the new facility will be a destination, much like the Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center, for weddings, conferences and more.

The $9.4 million project will include classrooms, a meeting space, a fitness center, a gym twice the size of the old one, parks and a pool facility.

“It will truly be a place for citizens to better their health,” he said.

An end, a new beginning

The ending is bittersweet for Boys & Girls Clubs’ Winter Park branch. They were brought in to the city specifically to run youth programs. On Sept. 30, they will no longer have a presence in Winter Park.

“We’re very sad that we won’t be able to continue this partnership. … Our hope is that somewhere down the line, we can partner with the city on future projects and programs,” Ashe said.

But where one door closes, another one opens. Boys & Girls Clubs is constructing a new 9,000-square-foot branch in the neighboring city of Eatonville.

The organization is already in Eatonville, in the Denton Johnson Community Center, and hopes to move into their new facility, named for former Darden Restaurants Chairman and CEO Joe R. Lee, early next year.

“It’s really exciting,” Ashe said.