PUNTA GORDA — The Rev. Ellison Haddock wants to know what will happen to the annual Martin Luther King Day Parade and rally if the YMCA takes over the Cooper Street Rec Center.
And where will the local NAACP hold their meetings if they are no longer allowed at the center?
For decades, Haddock and other Black civic leaders planned the MLK Day Parade and rally. The parade route, established by the city about 30 years ago, ends at the Cooper Street campus, 650 Mary St., Punta Gorda.
The Punta Gorda City Council will set a date in May for a public workshop with the YMCA to discuss a bid for the organization to run the rec center in the predominantly Black neighborhood.
Unlike at most workshops, the public can speak for three minutes.
The council can't vote at a workshop, only at a regular or special meeting. Therefore, a workshop allows for discussion between the city and the YMCA.
Haddock wonders if the YMCA decides to open on the MLK holiday, does it mean the rally can't take place at the rec center campus?
He and others said they are trying to get clarification if "everyone" has to have a background check if they are anywhere at the rec center while there are children present.
"The parade and rally can be covered in the city's negotiations with the YMCA to protect those events and allow them to continue as is with no new obstacles," he said. "We've been told the building or campus isn't open to the public when children are using it. If the Y decided to open on MLK Day, could we still use the campus? We want clarity and in writing."
Haddock said a red flag for the Cooper Street neighborhood is the YMCA's proposed hours of operation. According to the YMCA, they will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Haddock said if the building isn't available until after children leave, it doesn't give local organizations, like the NAACP, time to meet.
"What civic group meets after 8 p.m.?" said Haddock, who is the First Macedonia Church assistant pastor. "Why wouldn't they close at 6 p.m. and allow usage of the building afterward? This is why we want to know during the negotiations if the community will be allowed to use the building as we did in the past? Will there be a charge for it? If so, how much?"
Haddock also wants to know if community groups will still be allowed to help with programs at the center.
Gene T. Jones, Southwest Florida YMCA CEO, told The Daily Sun there will be a community board specifically for the Cooper Street Rec Center under the YMCA if the city selects the nonprofit to run the city-owned facility.
Jones said that board will determine the needs.
"(We) will work with stakeholders, churches, etc., and do many more than the traditional things that (have been done at the center)," he said. "(We) absolutely 100% acknowledge the rich history of center … we want to honor that and embrace different needs of the community."
According to the YMCA proposal, the new board will be led by Port Charlotte High School assistant principal Paul Curtis, who is on the YMCA Punta Gorda board of directors.
The Rev. Gerald Anderson of First Macedonia Church is willing to serve on the new community board. The longtime resident is the MLK Parade chairperson and community advocate.
"I consider all children in Punta Gorda my children," said Anderson, the father of a Charlotte High School JROTC student and athlete. "As kids, we ran on the Cooper Street property playing basketball. If we weren't home, our parents knew we were at the rec center. The problem I see is the rec center grounds turn into a park at 6 p.m. Will there be a conflict if there are still kids at the facility?"
Anderson asked if the community will be allowed to use the building for free for families after a funeral. He said it's always been a place for a celebration of life for the loss of a loved one.
"Will that be allowed on weekends?" he said. "Another issue is after a hurricane, churches were displaced including the First Macedonia Church and St. Mary's Church. They were able to have night and weekend services at the rec center for a few years until their buildings were rebuilt. Can that happen if the YMCA is in charge?"
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