The city and Middletown City Schools originally teamed up to fund the renovation, but the district pulled out in 2023 along with funding for a pre-school space at the center.
That sent city staff back to the drawing board to develop a new scope for the project with a budget of $5.9 million, which included $2.1 million in ARPA fund and funding from the county and state.
Acting City Manager Nathan Cahall recently presented city council with the projected base bid for the project and five options for additional improvements. Council will consider the contract for the project at next week’s meeting.
The base bid of $5.7 million includes a new gymnasium addition to include locker room and bathroom facilities, a regulation basketball court, approximately 7,000 square feet for a “family zone,” additional parking and utilities. That leaves options to be considered for the project.
--- Option one with the price tag of $230,000 includes wall pads in the gym, a scoreboard and retractable bleachers.
--- Option two addresses the existing facility that Cahall said “needs some love” including new window, gutters and downspouts and painting that would match the new addition. The cost is $195,000.
--- Option three and four are upgrades on the two existing bathroom facilities, with the price of $64,000 and $59,000.
--- Option five, with a higher price tag of $549,000, is an upgrade of the existing facility including new flooring, new walls, new ceilings, electrical improvement and HVAC improvements.
“While we are tearing up everything we have the opportunity to revitalize and refresh the interior of the existing facility,” Cahall said. He added the city has been spending money annually “duck taping and WD40 ing” maintenance in the facility.
The entire project with all options would cost about an addition $900,000, Cahall said. The city had $1.7 million of its orginal $19 million in ARPA funds that have not been spent or earmarked for something.
Cahall said his staff believes “we can break ground sometime after Labor Day.”
Councilwoman Jennifer Carter said she is for funding the entire project, adding she went to the community center in her youth playing basketball and cheering.
“This is a historic building and to not even think about going 100 percent gives me great concern,” Carter said. “(It’s) accessible to everyone in Middletown to chooses to come.”
Mayor Elizabeth Slamka also supports all options, although she said she would more closely review the city ARPA fund financial outlook first.
Councilman Zack Ferrill said he wants to take a closer look at the financials, but is on board with options one and two and maybe three.
“This is a long time coming,” Slamka said. “I am of the opinion let’s spend the money here.”
Slamka said input from the community is they want the outside to look “fantastic.”
“They want a big bang for the buck,” Slamka said “This is the time, let’s do it now.”
Councilman Steve West II said the community center “serves as an option, if not the only option, for many youth around town especially in the communities close to this facility.”
“We have to include all five, we have to make it work. I believe in this place and the people involved in this place,” West said.
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