Development
BY CODY THORN
O cials work to save money on Recreation Center renovations
When the Colleyville Recreation Center opens this summer, it will be the latest facility that was renovated with the city’s workforce. The city purchased the former Colleyville Cove- nant Church in 2022 and has worked to transform it into a functional community space. The backstory Using the city’s workforce helps the city save money, o cials said. “Our goal is to try to utilize the skillset that we have available to us,” City Manager Jerry Ducay said. In the case of the recreation center, the city is tapping into the skills of employees to help renovate this project. Employees from multiple city depart- ments have played a role in transforming the former church’s sanctuary into a basketball gym and other remodeling projects, Ducay said. Put in perspective City o cials had set aside $1.5 million to
renovate the church but has saved nearly $1 million on the project by doing the work in-house, according to Assistant City Manager Mark Wood. The city had an architect estimate of $710,000 to construct administrative o ces near the gym. Wood said the cost has been around $50,000 by using city employees. Another example inside the recreation center was the demolition of walls in what were formerly Sunday school classrooms. This carried an initial estimate of $32,000, but Wood said the city has spent about $2,000 on that project. The city also used its sta to make a restroom compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the landscaping was done in-house as well, Ducay said. “Every dollar we can save is one dollar that we either don’t have to ask our taxpayers for or we can [use to] fund another, much-needed project that our taxpayers want to see come about,” Ducay said.
Colleyville city employee James Beard works on a project at the Colleyville Recreation Center.
PHOTOS BY CODY THORN COMMUNITY IMPACT
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GRAPEVINE COLLEYVILLE SOUTHLAKE EDITION
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