Citizens may propose short-term Galimore plan

The City of St. Augustine reported to Historic City News that Lincolnville’s Galimore Center might remain open after county support ends next; providing a short-term plan is approved by the City Commission on Monday.

An interlocal agreement providing county management of the center and pool as well as Eddie Vickers Park ends September 30th.

The county gave the city $400,000 in lieu of repairing the pool — closed two years ago when the new Solomon Calhoun Center and pool opened in West Augustine.

The idea of reopening the pool went off the table when Regan noted, “Repair of the pool is not the problem. Annual operations can run $250,000 to $300,000 a year.”

Purcell Conway, one of a contingent of concerned citizens who met at the center last week to plead their case to City Manager John Regan and General Services Director Jim Piggott, will chair an advisory committee, while calls are out to the YMCA and the Northeast Florida Action Agency to see if they are interested in operating the Center.

“There are no small business opportunities here,” Conway said. “Can we set slabs in the field to lease to vendors?”

Other ideas:

• greater tourism promotion
• facility volunteers
• market days

A farmers market is set to begin October 2 and continue every Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

“Long-term solutions for the center encouraged the city manager,” former Mayor George Gardner wrote in this week’s issue of the public affairs publication The St. Augustine Report. Ultimately, the decision of what to do with the property will rest with the commissioners.

If you are planning to attend — the regular St. Augustine City Commission meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. Monday and will be held in the Alcazar Room; on the first floor of City Hall, located at 75 King Street in St. Augustine. It will be broadcast live on Comcast Government TV (Cable Channel 3) and is streamed over the Internet.