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Final Plans for PARC Project Near
With the help of community professionals volunteering their time and expertise, Crozet Park has been able to turn a multi-year, multi-phase 1.2 million dollar facility into a two year, $600,000 project yielding us an indoor aquatics and recreation center by September of 2012. To date, community professional have come together to donate their time and services in preparation of the facility. Phil Kirby, Crozet resident and senior executive of Barton Malow has been instrumental in allowing the recreation facility to become a reality, donating all services, including general contracting and guaranteeing the project for $600,000 dollars. Kirby is ready to start construction later this month pending the remaining $200,000 being secured through funding from the Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department.
Thanks to the community and donors, the Crozet Park has recently raised the $400,000 needed to put a dome over the Crozet pool and provide year round aquatics. If all goes as planned, at the January 11, 2012 Board of Supervisors meeting, an additional $200,000 will be received from the County for the needed renovations to the community building. This is funding that was initially allocated to the Park in 2008 to put in tennis courts, basketball courts and trails. With the early fundraising successes of the PARC project, Park Board members met with County staff in late 2010 and determined that the money might be better spent completing the PARC recreation building. If the recreation phase were completed concurrently, there would be an enormous savings in construction and the PARC would be able to provide numerous recreational and fitness opportunities. This would also create a center that would become a hub for programming tennis and basketball.
Meetings with County staff proved positive regarding this transfer in funds, and in the past year PARC committee members have been working with Bob Crickenberger of Albemarle County Parks and Recreation toward a successful transfer of these funds to the PARC project. However, tennis, basketball and trails still need to be given a place in the park and the Crozet Park Board will be responsible for replacing the funding for these facilities in a fashion that meets County requirements. With the help of our district supervisor, Ann Malleck, the Park Board has been working actively to come to an agreement that both satisfies the County requirements and makes it possible for the Park to fundraise for these facilities.
In response to this opportunity, and in a matter of months, $68,000 has been raised for tennis, thanks to the efforts of Lynda Harrill, the Quickstart Tennis coordinator. This spring, the goal is to start with 3 Quickstart Tennis courts and continue fundraising to complete 2 additional adult courts that easily double as Quickstart courts as needed. Through a joint venture agreement, the PARC will be operated by the Piedmont YMCA who will also provide programming opportunities for these amenities as they are built.