Emporia, Kan., residents had the opportunity to gain a much clearer picture of what a new rec center could look like a the very site that may house it.
Tuesday night saw the Emporia Rec Center Steering Committee’s latest community input session. It took place at Champions Landing and was split into two sessions. The first took place outdoors on the plot of land where the facility may be located if local voters approve a funding mechanism as part of a special ballot in March. During the session, visitors got a clearer picture of the exact layout of the facility and the size of its various amenities.
Kahler Slater Lead Designer Adam Bastjan says he was impressed by the turnout Tuesday evening and noted that the on-site event provided an opportunity to gain additional insight into community wants and explain in better detail why certain proposals may not have been included.
That said, Bastjan noted there have been very few suggestions from community members not included in the designs. He credits the rec steering committee for this saying the committee and community are well “aligned” when it comes to their visions for the facility, something you don’t always see with projects of this nature. [KVOE]
Nearly 6,000 square feet, 28 squat racks, four state-of-the-art stations for injury rehabilitation and other specialized workouts, custom inlaid platforms, and widespread branding.
No, this isn’t a Division I football facility—this is the new weight room of the Jefferson High School Dragons.
The school’s coaches say the facility, renovated in June, has given them an edge already this season. The girls’ volleyball team recently won its first-ever state championship. The football team is back in the playoffs, opening Friday against Monroe, after losing five-star linebacker Sammy Brown to graduation last season.
“We should be able to perform our workout in a dungeon and work hard and get better still, but when you’ve got the next level pieces of equipment, you’re giving yourself a competitive advantage,” said Mike Morgan, Jefferson’s director of strength and conditioning. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
Just off south Main Street in Brundidge, development is underway on a new athletic complex for Pike County High School.
The location of the complex is on the opposite side of South Main from Pike County High School, behind the old “shirt factory.” An access road will be built from South Main to the complex.
“We had this on the drawing board before COVID,” Pike County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Bazzell said. “We bid it out after COVID, but the prices were too high for us to afford it. Now that the prices have come down, we were able to bid the project out.” [The Messenger]
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