Wednesday, November 8, 2000
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Wednesday, November 8, 2000 |
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Hecht comes through with $350,000 for county gym
By DAVE
HAMRICK
Plans for a recreational gymnasium at McCurry Park in Fayetteville are on a faster track now that state funds have been made available. A $350,000 grant, ceremonially presented last week by state Sen. Greg Hecht, will be added to funds the county has been saving up, said County Commission Chairman Harold Bost. And now that the money is available, a committee of staff experts will begin talking about the details, Bost said. "This is the first time I know of that we've gotten any funds like this from the state," said Bost, adding that Hecht was instrumental in getting the money included in this year's state budget. "We appreciate his efforts very much," he said. County recreation director Mary Alice Lawrence said the gym will fill a long-standing need. "It's been in the long-range planning since 1979," Lawrence said. "There's no question of the need." Currently, the county relies on the good graces of the school system to provide space for such activities, she said. Carlos Garza, president of the Fayette Youth Basketball Association, said his program serves about 1,100 youths. "We've had to limit our activities due to the fact that the schools use their gyms for their own purposes and we can only use them when they're not," he said, adding "We are absolutely happy with the cooperation of the school system." Having a recreational facility will "make it possible for more kids to be involved," he said. As the program grows, youth teams are having to spill over into a gym that previously was reserved for adult leagues, Garza added. Plans are for a multipurpose facility that can be used for youth and adult basketball and volleyball leagues, and any other indoor sports and recreational activities, Lawrence said. "We've been studying the usage in the schools," she said, "and we're using the school gyms to the max. I'm sure [the new gym] will really be used by the community." As for how long it will be before work starts, Lawrence said it will take some time for a facilities committee to plan the project, get approval, get bids and get underway. She is hoping there will be enough money for a double court, rather than a single one, because of the demand. Acting County Administrator Chris Cofty said recent estimates are that the facility will cost about $1.5 million to build, adding that the project is included in the county's five-year capital improvements program. In addition to the gym funding, Hecht was in Fayette last week presenting $20,000 checks to Tyrone for a ball park and Fayetteville for preservation work on the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House.
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