Editor's note: A previous version of this story said the SPARC building would be complete by the end of 2016. The structure of the building will be finished by December 2016, with additional amenities added in the spring of 2017.
At the former Homer Middle School softball field, a steel skeleton of the future South Peninsula Athletic and Recreation Center (SPARC) stands tall.
Volunteers and contractors have been developing the site since early September. The prefabricated steel structure, which measures 75 feet wide by about 160 feet long, has been erected. The project coordinators hope to wrap fabric walls around it by mid-December.
The SPARC building will be a year-round space for sports like basketball, baseball, volleyball and more. It will also have an indoor walking track.
Homer resident Daniel Zatz is the project coordinator. He says the steel structure of the recreation center will be complete by the end of the year. This winter, organizers plan to add soft beach sand for beach volleyball, soccer and walking.
Additional amenities will be added to the building in the spring, including rubberized flooring.
“There’s a whole group of people who are working very hard to create this for the community, get it done, and get it to a point where everybody can start enjoying it,” says Zatz.
The estimated cost of the SPARC project is $640,000. The city of Homer has agreed to pay $189,000 through the Homer Foundation. The rest will be funded through a mix of donations from individuals, non-profits and local businesses.
Ken Castner is Board Chair of The Homer Foundation. He says the community has rallied behind the project and volunteers have helped keep construction costs low.
“When the community is behind something, and there’s 14 people who show up to work as volunteers, you have to make use of that. You can’t in good conscience pay high wages for things that people are willing to do, for a community purpose, for free," says Castner.
So far, 25 volunteers have turned up to help build the structure. As winter approaches, community members are excited to have a place to exercise year-round.
Renae Blanton is a Family Nurse Practitioner at SVT Health and Wellness. Blanton says the SPARC building will help community members stay healthy, especially during the winter months, and live longer lives.
“Let’s face it, in the wintertime it’s really hard to get someone who’s afraid of falling and hurting themselves out exercising and moving. We know that meeting one day a week will add ten to fifteen years to one’s life. We know that exercise will add years to one’s life, healthy years at that as well. So, we’re very excited about that," says Blanton.
Rob Green is a local Little League coach. He says both kids and adults will benefit from the new recreation center.
“I’m really excited about having a winter facility to keep the skills up for kids, and to even increase the skill for kids here in homer to be more competitive for baseball. However, I’m also an all-around athlete, So I’m just excited to have a sports facility, a recreation facility for everyone," says Green.
The SPARC building will be ready to use by the end of the year. You can learn more about the project at their website.
