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Old Facility Gets A Makeover

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By JOYCE MCKENZIE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2009

Temple Terrace - The smell of fresh paint and glue permeated the inside of the Omar K. Lightfoot Recreation Center last week as workers labored feverishly to complete the eight-month renovation project on schedule.

The $1.4 million undertaking began in June and is set to open this month as planned, said James Chambers, director of Temple Terrace Leisure Services, which oversees the city's park and recreational facilities.

City Manager Kim Leinbach hails it as a "great project."

"It makes good use of the space, it's colorful and it should well serve our residents for many, many years to come," he said.

The 12,000-square-foot facility was built in 1965 on property donated to the city by home builder Omar. K. Lightfoot.

What was the rear of the building is now the entrance, complete with a new portico covered with Spanish tiles to represent the Mediterranean-style architecture in accordance with the New Urbanism guidelines set for the city's downtown redevelopment area.

The original entrance has been transformed into a covered patio overlooking a courtyard. A concrete wall conceals the area from the traffic on nearby 56th Street.

The facility was originally built as a youth complex, but over the years it has been used for town hall meetings, political forums and as a venue for community theater. Today it is primarily a senior center and is home to the city's annual Senior Expo.

A covered walkway with handrails leads to the entry, where plaques noting the building's dedication, its renovation in 1989 and its latest makeover adorn the outside walls near the front doors.

The once open area in the center has been divided into a room for ceramic classes that include space for two kilns, a room for arts and crafts projects, and another for computers, reading and meetings.

Rooms that abut the outside walls and some that face the facility's inner areas have floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls are covered in hues of pale beiges, outlined at the top in salmon. The linoleum flooring is different in every room, but all are in shades of blue to compliment the walls.

"They all have a bright and airy look. We wanted it that way for our seniors," said Chambers, who supervised the project with the help of Woodroffe Corp. Architects and R. Krueger Construction Co.

Other features include a new bathroom with a shower; a billiards room with wall hookups for two flat-screen TVs; an activity room with an alcove that contains a lighted, collapsible stage; a 166-person capacity dining room; a kitchen with a new ceiling, new lighting and modern appliances; and another arts and crafts room.

The building is also equipped with new alarm and sprinkler systems.

"This renovation project means two things," said Chambers, a longtime Temple Terrace resident who frequented the center during his childhood. "First, we can get the seniors back into their home. And, secondly, its versatility will allow us to do a lot more."

Cory Collins, the center's recreation supervisor, is thrilled with the new look.

"Before the windows were opaque glass blocks, the floor was concrete and, except for our one classroom, it was one gigantic hall," she said. "It's now a beautiful facility, and I can't wait for it to open."

Councilwoman Mary Jane Neale recently took a tour of the center as a member of the Temple Terrace Arts Council.

"It's beautiful, and we would like to put some of the art we purchased last year during the Temple Terrace Arts Festival in the newly renovated Lightfoot center," she said. "For years we've displayed our pieces in City Hall, but they moved them to where they are really kind of out of sight."

The next step, Chambers said, is to furnish the facility with furniture, some of which is new and some the department has kept in storage.

"We have money for some couches, TVs and easy chairs," he said.

The project is funded by the Community Investment Tax, gasoline tax revenue and a Community Development Block Grant.

In addition to the inside work, the existing parking lot was repaved and extended, and improved lighting and landscaping have been added.

Chambers is planning an open house for mid- to late-February.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849.

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