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Arts Center off to $400K start

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizen.com

Plans were officially announced to the public for the Fayette Family YMCA Aquatic and Arts Center at a reception at Flat Creek Country Club last Thursday night.

A group of citizens, architects and YMCA staff members started drawing their first sketches for the project three years ago and serious work from numerous committees began 18 months ago. On Thursday, plans and sketches were on display, and the first round of donations were made.

Hollis Harris, the honorary chairman of the project, was on hand to talk about the project and to accept the donations, which totaled close to $400,000.

Dr. John DeCotis, the superintendent of Fayette County Schools and chairman of the Project Development Committee, made the first donation on behalf of the Fayette County Board of Education: an in-kind donation of 12 acres for the project to use. The center will be built near Cleveland Elementary School. The donation of land is estimated to be worth $285,000.

Coweta-Fayette EMC made an in-kind donation for electricity and parking lots estimated to be $75,000. Sandra Jungers, president of the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts, made a donation of $25,000 with a promise for more support, financial and otherwise. Also making a donation last Thursday was Christine Baran from the Clothes Less Traveled Thrift Shop, who gave $10,000 to the project.

After the donations were made, Billy Kendrick and Steve Justice, both members of the Development Steering Committee, discussed the project and its amenities.

The facility will be 115,000 square feet and will feature a 50-meter aquatics venue, able to hold high school state meets and national competitions; a wellness center and gym with a running track above the gym; and an arts center that will feature a 424-seat theatre, a 150-seat black box theater, classrooms and an art gallery.

There will be 242 parking spaces at the facility and because of its location across from Cleveland Elementary, the school system has agreed to let the facility use the school’s parking lot, if needed, for overflow parking for evening and weekend events.

There will also be common areas such as a lobby/atrium, concessions, a teen center, baby-sitting and administration and membership offices.

The second phase of the project would include a 10,000-square-foot outdoor family water park.

The cost of the project is estimated at $22-to-25 million and discussions are underway with large corporations to underwrite portions of the project.

Pam Young, executive director of the Fayette Family YMCA, estimates that approximately 100 full-time jobs will be created by the facility.

Currently, the YMCA has between 50 and 60 part-time employees each summer and part-time positions will expand at the center as well. She also expects that the facility will need a significant number of volunteers.

If you are interested in getting involved in this project, volunteering your time or making a financial donation, phone the Fayette Family YMCA at 770-719-9622 or e-mail Joan Velsmid, chair of the board of directors for the project, at joanvelsmid@msn.com.