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Pine Manor Community Center Renovation Project
May 8, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHAT: Pine Manor Community Center Renovation Project WHEN: Saturday, May 12, ribbon cutting at noon, special events/family activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: Pine Manor Community Center, 5447 Tenth Ave. OTHER: Parking will be at Hunter Park………. From the parking lot, please walk down Oak Drive to Tenth Avenue to join the festivities at the Community Center. BACKGROUND: The Pine Manor Improvement Association ( PMIA ) was originally founded in 1987 to coordinate the improvements and beautification of the neighborhood. The goal was to enhance the quality of life for the residents to raise their families. PMIA members shared their homes to hold the Association meetings through the years. In 1993 they established a partnership with the Lee County Board of County Commissioners which led to the formation of the Pine Manor Local Neighborhood District Committee (LNDC). It was that very partnership that made Pine Manor eligible for Community Development Block Grants. In 2001, the LNDC in conjunction with the County's Human Services Department, United Way of Lee County and the PMIA, raised the money to purchase a home on Tenth Street and converted it into a neighborhood center for the residents of Pine Manor. This provided space for the coordination of activities and social services for neighborhood families. The residents now had a safe place to have activities for the children's holiday programs and provided direct access to social service programs in the neighborhood. In addition to the community center, the neighborhood itself began to see infrastructure improvements initiated by the LNDC. These upgrades included sidewalks, storm water drainage and street lighting projects. Many improvements were also made to Hunter Park. On Friday, August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charlie devastated parts of Lee County including the Pine Manor Community Center. Consequently, and to the detriment of the Pine Manor residents, many of the center's programs were eliminated or relocated outside of the community. The citizens of Pine Manor quickly realized that the Community Center had to be renovated so its valuable programs could be resumed. The Lee County Commissioners approved the design of the center's renovation prepared by the Division of Planning and Design for the $146,700 construction project. In addition to renovation of the center, there was great emphasis on bringing the building up to current codes. After great efforts from many people and groups, the new and improved Community Center is ´up and running' again. The LNDC and PMIA meetings will be conducted there and in short-order the once thriving programs will resume. While the work at the Community Center has been underway, Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation has also been very busy upgrading the neighborhood park adjacent to the Community Center. Hunter Park now features new playground equipment, pavilion, lighting and many different sports fields as well as basketball courts. Thanks again for your collaborative efforts and patience while all this work was being done to make the Pine Manor neighborhood better than ever. So don't be a stranger. This is your community and every resident is welcome and encouraged to use the new facilities. See you soon…..
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