East Bay city to bring back downtown community center
Residents in downtown Pittsburg will soon have a space to enjoy such recreational activities as basketball, karate, fitness classes and indoor pickleball among others.
That’s because the former Marina Community Center – for decades used as a sheriffs training center – is now being refurbished for all to enjoy. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the project’s initial $750,000 budget using surplus Measure W funds to bring the former center at 340 Marina Blvd. back to its glory days.
Work first began on building a downtown community center in 1972, and over the next 30 years, the building was used for senior services, summer programs afterschool programs, classes, a preschool, city and county offices and more.
“This became that one-stop shop or hub for community information and programs,” Kolette Simonton, Pittsburg director of recreation, said.
But in 2002, the city leased the property to Contra Costa County to operate the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Academy, which finally came to an end in December of last year. Months earlier the city had notified the county it would not extend the lease again as the council had decided it was time to bring the site back for recreational and educational purposes.
In budget session last May, the council earmarked up to $1.5 million for the project, noting it is being done in phases and staff flight have to return to request additional funds for all the renovations. Some of the improvements include repairing the gymnasium floor, HVAC repairs, making it ADA accessible, and adding new furniture, security and technology, according to the staff report.
As currently configured, the Marina Community Center contains two large classrooms, which could be used for anything from dance and fitness to training and workshop space, along with a full gymnasium, which SImonton said could be used for basketball, volleyball and pickleball.
“There will be three courts of indoor pickleball, which will be ideal for this area because we don’t have outdoor or indoor pickleball courts,” Simonton said. “And what we have heard from the pickleball community is that indoor courts are very much in need.”
Simonton also said there will be space for youth camps and staff plans to have open gymnasium nights as well.
Repair of the gymnasium floor is underway, she said, noting they will be less expensive to refurbish than first thought as it was still in good condition despite its age.
“We initially looked at the floors, we anticipated we were going to spend quite a bit of money on those floors,” Simonton said. “We thought we would actually have to tear them out and put down a new flooring (which wasn’t the case).”
Before motioning for approval of the project, Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston said she was happy the gymnasium floor came under budget so other improvements could be made.
“I am so excited about the Marina Center opening,” she said. “I can’t wait until it opens up, just to provide our youth space in the downtown area …to come and use this facility.”
Councilman Jelani Killings seconded the motion.
“I share the excitement. I think the whole community is sharing this excitement right now,” he said. “Even as you show the pictures in your presentation, I remember wearing those shirts, those jerseys, there’s nostalgia there.”
Simonton said the project should be completed in about 45 days and the building opened by April 1 “at the latest.”
“We’re hoping it will be sooner,” she said.
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