LAS VEGAS TRAIL COMMUNITY CENTER UPDATE
In March of 2019, the Fort Worth City Council approved an agreement between LVTRise project and the City of Fort Worth for the lease and management of the former YMCA, located at 8201 Calmont Avenue for the purpose of a community center.
The council, at its Tuesday work session, received an informal report of the progress of that project.
The LVTRise project is a cooperative nonprofit effort by private companies, human service organizations and government agencies dedicated to improving the lives of people living in the Las Vegas Trail area.
As part of that agreement with the city, LVTRise Inc. agreed to split the cost of improvements to the community center equally. Renovations to the existing buildings and site improvements will take place in three phases.
Phase I, currently underway with a budget of $1.3 million, includes the renovation of the front building containing approximately 5,625 square feet, replacement of HVAC and roofs for both buildings, and park related site improvements.
The City of Fort Worth appropriated $650,000 in August.
A public library branch will be co-located in the facility and will offer full literary collections, computer lab and other traditional programs and services.
Phase I is scheduled to be completed in April, allowing the center to begin
operating in June.
Phase II of the project, with an estimated cost of approximately $1. million, is scheduled to begin in the fall. City funding for Phase II will be matched with $950,000 from the Community Partnership Fund. The council is expected to vote on this as an agenda item sometime in March.
LVTRise has raised $400,000 from the Sid Richardson Foundation.
Phase II renovations will include the creation of recreational space for older adults, youth programming, education and physical fitness. Phase II renovations are also scheduled to begin in the fall.
The acquisition of Calmont Park was approved by the council last March. Of this property, 0.69 acres was retained as city, non-park property for the future location of the Child Care Associates child care facility.
To accommodate the new location for the childcare facility, the basketball courts will be rebuilt. DPR Construction and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County will be donating two new basketball courts.
Also, LVTRis, Inc. is conducting surveys for suggestions on a new name for the
community center.