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What do you do for fun, St. Pete Beach?

The city is sending out surveys to find out what it should do with the recreational area at the site of the former city hall.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published March 16, 2005

ST. PETE BEACH - More than 7,000 residents will receive a multipage recreation survey in the mail this week - a survey city officials say is vital in planning recreational facilities.

Here is just some of the information the city hopes to learn:

-- Do city residents like to swim or do they prefer to play tennis, jump hoops or crack a bat?

-- Are they artistic and need a place to make pots, paint, or perform in theater productions?

-- Do they want to socialize by playing cards with their neighbors, join a club or go on special outings?

-- Maybe they want to learn how to garden or take nature walks.

-- Or they might want to learn to speak a foreign language, use a computer or make a gourmet recipe.

How residents answer these and other questions will help the recreation department plan facilities and activities at a future center on the site of the former city hall, says Phil Christman, the city's recreation program coordinator.

"Input from St. Pete Beach residents will play an important part in this process" and will "shape the future of leisure activities and events for years to come," says the letter accompanying the market survey.

The anonymous survey also asks for demographic information including the number and age of children and adults in each household, length of residence in St. Pete Beach and education and income levels, as well as the kind of recreational activities residents currently use, and the type of recreational activities desired. The survey also asks the time and day of the week that is most convenient for participating in recreation programs, and whether the residents have and use a city library card.

"It's very important that our citizens let us know what they want," Christman said.

The city plans to spend nearly $4-million to convert the 5.37-acre former city hall site into a unique waterfront park and recreation center.

The former city hall, an office annex and an old police building have already been demolished for the first phase of redevelopment: creation of a park that includes a picnic shelter, children's play area, restrooms, sidewalks and landscaped areas near the existing gymnasium.

A few months ago, the City Commission authorized a schematic design for expansion and renovation of the recreation center. A $3.6-million, 10,000-square-foot, single-story building will connect to the existing gymnasium. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by next summer.

The city is hoping to receive a grant to install a swimming pool. Other proposals include a water play area and a dog park.

[Last modified March 16, 2005, 01:32:17]