Fundraiser coming for community centre

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This article was published 28/12/2019 (2298 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While the ultimate fate of the Park Community Centre is still uncertain, a fundraiser for money to renovate the dilapidated building is in the works. 

Reached on Friday, Ken Jaworski, who started a petition to save the community centre, said a group of volunteers and community centre users is planning a fundraising drive. 

“There are some things going on,” he said. “I know there is a group getting organized to start fundraising. It’s nothing official yet, but there are a group of people who are involved with the community centre who are looking at some fundraising options to get the ball rolling.”

He declined to say who is involved with the prospective fundraising drive, but said the group has a rally/fundraiser planned for the spring. 

The petition Jaworski started currently has more than 2,500 signatures, far surpassing his original goal of 500. 

“We do want to send a strong message to city council that (demolition) isn’t an acceptable option for us; we’re definitely trying to push that number higher and get the awareness out there that this is something people have to get involved with or else we will lose the Park (Community Centre),” he said. 

“We’re looking to convince the city that this is something that can’t be done, so we need all the help we can get.” 

On Dec. 16, Brandon City Council voted to delay a recommendation from city administration to permanently close and demolish the Park Community Centre. In its place, the city would build a green space and activities would move to other city facilities. 

Three options were presented for the building. Option 1 — the most expensive at $130,000 — is to renovate the structure so it could be brought back to a full capacity of hosting 143 people.

This option does not take into account other needed renovations at the building to restore it beyond how it was originally built. The report says the building needs approximately another $180,000 in repairs for mechanical/HVAC upgrades, roof repairs, electrical work and demolition of the skate shack.

Option 2 is less expensive at $60,000 to $110,000 and would repair the building to how it was originally built. This option wouldn’t bring it up to full capacity, however.

Option 3 is to demolish the building and create a community green space where it stood.

The estimated cost is approximately $100,000 and was recommended by city administration.

However, city council voted to go back to the public for more consultation on the future of the community centre, with councillors saying the consultations that were done as part of the city’s Recreation and Community Facilities Master Plan were not specific enough. During the Dec. 16 meeting, Perry Roque, the city’s director of community services, said the Park Community Centre is only booked for a few hours each day and intermittently on weekends. Those activities could be moved to other nearby locations, such as the A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex on Princess Avenue. 

Rick Gray, board chairman for South End Community Centre, said the community centre would have to be brought back to the full capacity of 143 people to make it tenable in the long term. There also needs to be a volunteer base and funding in place to keep it operating. 

“Eventually, they’re going to be one major breakdown from not having any funds. It’s one of those things where if we are going to proceed with it … we need to make sure that there’s funding or support to keep it viable, really,” he said. 

He said the centres can be “run on the cheap” if they are in good shape. 

Other community centres, such as the East End Community Centre, show they can be vibrant. The community centre underwent major renovations over the last year worth approximately $150,000 and has a strong volunteer backing. Gray said if the Park Community Centre had the same involvement, it would make a strong argument for more funding. 

“It was nice to see an outcry from the community, and in order to make sure that we want to keep that centre, we need to keep up that involvement from the community … we need to involve the people in that area, in that community.”

Jaworski said the city also has a role in providing the funding to keep the building in good shape for residents’ use. 

“The only thing that is 100 per cent certain is we are going to fight, and we are going to make sure the city doesn’t tear it down without hearing our voices.”

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_