Wednesday, August 8, 2001
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Wednesday, August 8, 2001 |
| PTC to offer
$2.6 million for Braelinn church; will use as community center
And JOHN MUNFORD
Peachtree City officials have agreed to make a $2.6 million offer to purchase a church campus for a multipurpose community center if voters approve the project at the polls in November. After meeting in executive session after Thursday night's City Council meeting, council voted to authorize Mayor Bob Lenox to sign an option agreement on the property, offering the church $2.6 million for the 18-acre tract and existing buildings. City Attorney Rick Lindsey said the actual purchase of the property will be delayed until the results of November's bond referendum are in. The Braelinn Baptist campus is on Robinson Road near Crosstown Road. The campus has 27 classrooms which could be used to expand programs offered by the Recreation Department. The church's sanctuary, which can hold 600 people, was also designed as a multipurpose space. A number of programs offered by the Recreation Department could be expanded at the center, including martial arts, arts and crafts, aerobics, gardening and cooking classes. If voters decide to go ahead with the facility, the city will also rent space to groups for meetings and other activities as a source of revenue. City staff is preparing estimates of the annual cost of running the community center. In addition to proposing the multipurpose center, the city will propose several other projects for bond financing on the ballot, including a 350-seat civic auditorium which would be built on the church campus. Other bond issue proposals include a package of smaller recreation projects such as the expansion of the Kedron Fieldhouse and improvements to Drake Field in addition to a plan to refinance existing city debt for a cost savings through a lower interest rate.
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