- Tallahassee commissioners approved $479,785 for renovations to the Walker-Ford Communtiy Center.
- The city received seven bids, and chose Sperry and Associates.
- Watch the video above to hear from neighbors who use the facility, and city officials.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Walker-Ford Community Center will see major improvements once construction breaks ground.
I'm Terry Gilliam your southwest Tallahassee neighborhood reporter.
Now that the proposal to build a new roof has passed, I look at new developments happening and how it impacts the Bond community.
"It makes me feel great knowing that the city of Tallahassee is making it its mission and its goal to provide back into the community."
That's Florida A&M student Matthew Rivera. He's talking about the new grant approval the city is providing for the Walker-Ford Community Center in Southwest Tallahassee.
Providing is what Rivera knows all too well about. He and his fraternity are at the Walker-Ford center at least every Wednesday to mentor kids in after school programs.
The center is a neighborhood staple for those living nearby. It's a multipurpose facility, providing access to many services.
But the current roof on that building is at the end of its lifespan. It needs to be replaced.
That replacement is coming soon. Tallahassee commissioners approved $479,785 to get project rolling.
The city took bids on the project before awarding grant money. Out of seven bidders, the city decided on Sperry and Associates.
I asked City Commissioner Diane Williams-Cox to describe the process.
"The city of Tallahassee has an outstanding procurement staff, and the Director of procurement and her staff put together an evaluation team based on the number of criteria. They work very carefully with our office of minority business to make sure we have great representation, and everyone feels they got a fair shake at submitting their bids to this work."
According to city documents, the new roof would prevent long-term effects of water intrusion and other damage.
Neighbors like Rivera say there isn't a better time than now to get a project like this going.
"Providing an up kept, well maintained facility only further promotes excellence."
The roof that will replace the existing one will be a metal based on pricing and durability.
Right now, there's no start date for the work.
