- April 19, 2024
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Residents and officials gather for the opening of the renovated and expanded Palm Coast Community Center March 23. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Hundreds attended the opening of the Community Center, which can accommodate more than 600 people at one time. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Vera De La Torre, 3, from Palm Coast, at the Community Center opening. (Photo by Brian McMillan)
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland speaks at the opening of the expanded Community Center. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly waves at the opening of the expanded Community Center.(Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland speaks at the opening of the expanded Community Center. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
(Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Ajax Building Corp. President Bill Byrne speaks at the opening of the expanded Community Center. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Florida Power & Light Regional Manager Larry Volenec speaks at the opening of the expanded Community Center. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Director Alex Boyer speaks at the opening of the expanded Community Center.(Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Local officials prepare to cut a ribbon at the opening of the expanded Community Center.(Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Officials cut a ribbon at the opening of the expanded Community Center.(Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
The Community Center features large, airy rooms with high ceilings and lots of natural light. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
(Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
This room was part of the original center and the City Council's original meeting space. The renovation opened up its ceiling to expose the original wood beams, and added large glass doors at the room's rear. (Jonathan Simmons)
The whiteboard is already getting some use. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Children played on the swings at the large playground in the Community Center's courtyard after the ribbon cutting ceremony. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
Visitors lined up for hors d'oeuvres. (Photo by Jonathan Simmons)
The newly renovated Palm Coast Community Center's rooms feature soft, beachy pastels, large windows, glass doors and high ceilings. Hundreds of residents toured those rooms for the first time March 23 since the center closed for renovations in early February, 2017.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," said Karen Chrostowski, who was attending the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with her husband, Jim Chrostowski. The couple are snowbirds who recently bought a condo in Palm Coast, she said. "We are so impressed with Palm Coast. Everything is so beautiful. This is like a little gem."
The $8 million renovation process more than tripled the size of the Community Center, which had been built by ITT in 1975, to about 21,000 feet.
"It is groundbreaking and dazzling, a beautiful place for recreation and socialization," Mayor Milissa Holland said in a speech before the ribbon cutting. "It will be the core of our activity and connectivity. It will be a hub for exploring and learning. Today establishes a new foundation for a life well lived in our city."
The renovated center, at 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, features an open courtyard, a playground, lighted basketball courts and four meeting rooms, with seating ranging from 45 to 225. Part of the expanded parking lot is shaded with solar panels. Old oaks shade picnic tables in the courtyard. A trailhead for Linear Park trail has a new restroom building. The center is also the new home of the city's Parks and Recreation department.
Most of the $8 million construction cost was paid for with tax money, Holland said.
"The money you spend here in Palm Coast stays here," she said. "Because you're spending money at Palm Coast shops and restaurants and gas stations, your cash has gone into a dedicated reserve for projects like this Community Center. Thanks to you, this remarkable facility was constructed without the city needing to borrow a single penny."
Holland added that the city preserved the historic oaks on the site during the construction process and had achieved LEED certification as an environmentally sustainable site.
"Preserving our natural environment and supporting our clean atmosphere is what we do best," Holland said. "Once our City Council cuts this ribbon, this place will find its way into our hearts. We may have altered the old building, but we saved the memories and the love."
