Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward joined with members of the City Council to break ground this morning on a new neighborhood resource center at Legion Field on Pensacola’s west side.
“Since I’ve taken office, neighborhoods are no longer just a line-item in the budget, they’re part of everything we do as a City,” said Mayor Hayward. “As we work to create economic opportunity, it’s critical that we invest in our neighborhoods and make Pensacola a place where people want to be.”
The 15,000 square foot center will include a new library branch, large multi-purpose room and gym, kitchen with concession windows, and activity and meeting rooms. The center is designed to exceed energy efficiency standards and meet current green building standards for design and construction.
“This center will be more than just a place to play basketball or hold a neighborhood meeting,” said Hayward. “This center will be a place to provide the services and resources our citizens need and deserve. I want to thank the City Council for working with me to make these long overdue projects a reality.”
The center at Legion Field is the second of two new neighborhood resource centers proposed by Mayor Hayward and approved by the City Council last year. The other center, in the Woodland Heights neighborhood, broke ground in September.
The Legion Field center was designed by DAG Architects and is being built by A.E. New, Jr. of Pensacola. Construction is expected to take around 14 months, with completion by February 2014.