Last edited 4:47 p.m., Aug. 2, 2011The Springfield-Greene County Park Board held a groundbreaking ceremony this morning for the Dan Kinney Family Center at Dan Kinney Park, 2701 S. Blackman Road. The family center has faced opposition from the Ozarks Regional YMCA and privately owned gyms.
The roughly $5.2 million, 35,279-square-foot facility - which would house a community room, a gymnasium with a track, cardio/weight training, a game room, a child care room, an aerobics room, a café and locker rooms - is scheduled for completion in fall 2012.
The facility is being designed to meet Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Silver certification and to serve more than 275,000 citizens of Greene County. The general contractor for the project is Branco Enterprises Inc., with other work being provided by Hood-Rich Inc., architect; Architectural Energy Corp., LEED consultant; and Smith-Goth Engineers Inc., mechanical/electrical engineer, according to a news release.
The family center has come under contention in recent months, as Ozarks Regional YMCA officials have questioned the Park Board's use of taxpayer money and claimed the center has an unfair advantage over privately funded organizations, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives.
The project is funded through revenue bonds paid for by a quarter-cent sales tax passed by voters in 2006 to fund $50 million in Park Board projects. YMCA officials said construction of the project would start before voters could weigh in on a need for it, but Springfield-Greene County Park officials have noted the project has been planned for years, and said they have held public meetings that have seen little, if any, contention.[[In-content Ad]]
