FORT WALTON BEACH — Crews will begin this week demolishing the Fred Hedrick Center, which has served as the city’s primary recreation complex for almost 40 years.
The project is expected to last about two weeks.
View photos of the start of demolition >>
“The demolition crews will take out the entire building, the concrete it’s built on and the parking lot on the south end of the building,” said Jeff Peters, the city’s recreation and cultural services director. “They’ll actually recycle most of the concrete.”
The demolition is a critical phase in the city’s plan to consolidate its four aging recreation centers, all of which were built in the early 1970s, into a new $8 million facility to be constructed at the Hedrick Center site on Jet Drive.
The other three recreation buildings — the Docie Bass, Chester Pruitt and Creative Senior centers — eventually could be demolished, sold or leased to a church or another organization, Peters said.
The city suspended recreation activities at the Hedrick Center in late June, and employees working there were moved to other city offices.
For the past month, city workers have been busy emptying out the 23,000-square-foot facility.
“There’s a little bit we were able to hold on to, and what we’ve done is either moved it around to other offices or put it in storage,” City Manager Michael Beedie said.
A large number of chairs were given to the police and fire departments for events they hold.
The city also gave an old scoreboard and several gas heaters to the Okaloosa County School District and some basketball goals to Pryor Middle School.
Now that the Hedrick Center is largely empty, demolition crews are conducting asbestos abatement.
“It’s kind of bittersweet to see it come down,” Peters said. “But to know the recreation department is moving forward with a brand new building is a good thing.”
City officials have said it will cost less to consolidate the recreation facilities than to maintain the aging centers, which need $1.7 million in major repairs.
“This (new) building is actually saving the city money,” Peters said.
After the demolition is complete, workers will begin prepping the site for construction.
“In the next two to three weeks, they’ll be mobilizing equipment and getting everything ready to go,” Beedie said.
Construction will happen only during the daylight hours and will not begin before 7 a.m., he said.
The new recreation center will span more than 30,000 square feet and include rooms for fitness, dance, games and after-school programs, as well as a full-sized kitchen and two racquetball courts.
Construction is expected to be completed in early 2014.
“We’re all excited that we’re finally getting this project underway,” Beedie said. “I think it’s going to be great for the city.”
