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Termite Damage And Rot May Force Century To Replace Historic Community Center
May 18, 2023
Just over a year ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $3.255 million to the Town of Century to renovate two community centers.
Now, it appears one could be razed and replaced with a new building.
Just under $2 million was designated to renovate the historic Carver Community Center at 7040 West Jefferson Avenue. The former school building was constructed in 1945.
But time and termites have taken an obvious toll on the wood building, which sat empty, neglected and unmaintained for years by the Escambia County School District. The school district just recently transferred the title to the Town of Century.
Ben Townes of Ben Townes of Townes + Architects said two engineering firms recently inspected the building. They found no asbestos, but that was the only good news. What they found was lead paint and plenty of structural damage from termites and water.
“In essence, the entire building is covered in lead-based paint,” Townes said. “It adds a lot of cost to a project to have to deal with lead-based paints. It’s very hazardous and especially with children.”
He said the bottom plates of the building — essentially the bottom section of walls where studs are attached — are 70% missing or have termite damage, and there is extensive rot or termite damage to the remainder of the building. Townes said all total, the damage would exceed over 50% of the value of the building. In addition, the structure will not support the capacity required by code.
His cost estimate for just the repairs was at over $2.4 million plus $853,000 to mitigate hazards such has lead. At over $3.2 million, that exceeds the $2 million in grant money.
But for about $2 million a new structure, he said, could “pay homage to the existing building for a little less cost and at the end of the day have a really adequate facility for your use”. It could look almost identical to the old structure.
“If it gets torn down, I want some guaranteed, rock-solid evidence that it is going to be put back,” Council President Luis Gomez, Jr., said. “I want to make sure it gets put back.”
“You can rebuild it,” project consultant Robin Phillips said. “We wouldn’t actually use grant money to go in and demolish it and not rebuild it, because what’s the benefit in that?”
One local resident said he does not want to see a new building; he wants the old one repaired.
“To me, as a student of that school at one time, we just need to find more money to cover the cost to bring it back to that original state,” Anthony Robinson said. “That’s what I want, and I think that’s what most of the people of the town of Century want. If we don’t have the money right now, let’s hold off until we get it.”
Phillips noted there is a deadline to spend the grant money, but a year extension from the state might be possible.
Gomez said public comments will be heard at an upcoming public meeting. The meeting has not yet been scheduled.
The remained of the grant awarded by DeSantis, about $850,000, was designated for improvements at the Century Community Center (also known as the Ag Building) at the corner of West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
13 Responses to “Termite Damage And Rot May Force Century To Replace Historic Community Center”
With a population of just over 1,700 why would they even need two community centers?
Time to let it go. When was the last class to graduate from there, 1968 maybe? New buildings come and old schools go. Time to let go of this one. Why rebuild it? Did any one try and rebuild the old Century High school? What about the old Century Gym that has been condemned? Are we going to ask the state to rebuild that do to nostalgic reasons? No, and no! Time to put the past into the past.
If this community wants a community center then the people in the community need to come together as a community and raise funds to build a facility. That is what people who share common interest do. They share the same perspective and ideas and apply those ideas to accomplish a common goal. Waiting on the government to give you a hand out is the lazy mans way and no one truly appreciates what is given to them. An earned amenity is more valuable and more appreciated than an entitlement.
If it is so “Historical” and “Sentimental” why hasn’t it been taken care of all these years?
Why wasn’t it turned into a “Community Center” years ago when it was in good shape and cared for?
With the prevailing Community mindset what guarantees are there that a brand new Community center won’t be neglected?
It’s a known fact that if you give people things for free with no skin in the game they don’t appreciate it and let it go to waste.
Organize a Community Center rebuild project and get everyone involved if you don’t get “Buy in” from the Community don’t build it.
Everyone can contribute “Something” from picking up trash to painting and simple groundskeeping to just plain “Showing up” to have a voice.
tear that rat infested dump down.
I just wonder how many community centers a little town like Century can justify? Oh, I forgot, Century doesn’t have to justify any expense, they just wait on the State of Fl. or Escambia County to foot the bills.
Only thing this place is used for is to sell drugs at why are they fixing things that HAS ALREADY BEEN TORE UP AND BEEN PAID FOR TO FIX?
Rotten means rotten
@ town member Robinson: the facts are this. The structure cannot support the capacity requirements. Period! I also don’t want my taxes paying for sentimental value when it is cheaper to build a new structure that will meet the need better for the future. Don’t you want your granchildren and future generations (who have no memory of attending the school) to have a nice new facility to use and enjoy?
Ditto to Json!
At this point the most appropriate thing to do is rebuild the center supported by a legal written agreement! If not, it would be just a patch job!
“we just need to find more money”
Quoting Rosa Parks here:
“No.”
Stop spending money you don’t have. Tear it down and rebuild it. You can’t repair a building with massive termite damage.
I was lucky enough to be at my grade school when it was being torn down in 2013. The building was very worn, even the concrete steps were sagging! The man running the excavator was kind enough to come down and he picked up some bricks on his way to the fence gate. He called them souvenirs. He was giving them to old students stopping by. While driving away I thought cities could make a fortune selling the bricks or just a tiny piece of sentimental structures. But build the new building, termites are no souvenir.
Do the demolition and rebuild a new structure. Old doesnt always warrant trying to rehab. Once you start the rehab project there could be even bigger problems that get uncovered.
Its easy to say “lets go get some more money from the “Free Money Tree”. But it isnt “free money”. Its taxpayer money taken from the wallets of hard working Floridians. Its governments job to be good stewards of the taxpayers money.
If someone feels the need to rehab this current structure just to hold on to some “memory”, maybe they should go out to the current structure and get a picture. I am sure these same folks wouldnt spend another million dollars and change of their personal funds just for nostalgia reasons. The Town of Century is broke and they keep reaching into the pockets of outsiders to subsidize them.