Construction 'on track' for new $20 million MLK Center in Panama City

Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald
·2 min read
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PANAMA CITY − A massive project to restore a key community amenity continues to gain momentum.

According to Commissioner Janice Lucas, construction is on schedule in a $20 million project to rebuild the Martin Luther King Jr. Rec Center. Site work broke ground in February, and crews now are preparing the property's foundation for vertical construction.

Panama City says construction of the new Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center is on schedule. The old center was destroyed in 2018 by Hurricane Michael.
Panama City says construction of the new Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center is on schedule. The old center was destroyed in 2018 by Hurricane Michael.

At 705 E. 14th Court in Panama City, the new center will sit in the footprint of its predecessor, which was destroyed in October 2018 by Category 5 Hurricane Michael.

"The overall great news is that we are on track, according to the schedule that has been prepared for construction," Lucas said. "That foundation is being shored up with these particular advancements that are going on now."

The new center will boast a community center, two-court gym, lighted outdoor basketball court, soccer or football practice field and playground. It also will include a STEM lab, art room, recording studio, teaching kitchen, reading rooms and a large multipurpose room.
The new center will boast a community center, two-court gym, lighted outdoor basketball court, soccer or football practice field and playground. It also will include a STEM lab, art room, recording studio, teaching kitchen, reading rooms and a large multipurpose room.

The old center featured a single-court gym with a recreation center that housed a few classrooms and activity rooms. It also had a splash pad, volleyball courts and outdoor basketball courts.

The new center will boast a community center, two-court gym, lighted outdoor basketball court, soccer or football practice field and playground. It also will include a STEM lab, art room, recording studio, teaching kitchen, reading rooms and a large multipurpose room.

"This work of getting the foundation correct, laid and ready to put the walls up is important," Lucas said. "What I've learned from having to rebuild my own home after Hurricane Michael is that if you don't get the foundation right, you just have trouble all the way up."

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The rec center is located within the Glenwood Community. Lucas said it has about 3,000 residents, of which approximately 1,000 are younger than 18. There also are thousands of other kids in the surrounding areas that will benefit from the new center.

She hopes for construction of the center to be complete by the fall of 2025.

The city is hopeful the new center will be completed by the fall of 2025.
The city is hopeful the new center will be completed by the fall of 2025.

"The rec center has been the place for kids to go − for programming, for sports, for decades," Lucas said. "It is sorely missed. We've envisioned not only bringing back the rec center, but also making it even more in line with (the community's) needs.

"It will not only focus on recreation, but also the education of kids. That's why it's so important."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City on schedule with rebuild of Martin Luther King Rec Center