MLK Jr. Rec Center demolished to make way for state-of-the-art facility. See what's next

Lori Steineck
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY — William “Scoop” Waters watched from his driver's seat Monday morning as a worker in a large excavator tore down the walls of the community center he had managed for 30 years.

What remains of the Hurricane Michael-destroyed Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center at 705 E. 14th Court was demolished in preparation for construction of a new state-of-the-art facility.

Demolition of the old Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center at 705 E. 14th Court in Glenwood started Monday.
Demolition of the old Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center at 705 E. 14th Court in Glenwood started Monday.

Plan for new center: 'It is just state of the art': Panama City OKs master plan for new MLK Recreation Center

Previous reporting: What happened with plans to restore the Glenwood MLK Rec Center in Panama City?

"I am so happy and so elated to see the progress," said Waters, who retired in 2012. "The kids had no place to go, nothing to do. It's very hard. But we're here and we're beginning to see progress."

In full operation, the building had been the center of activity for at least 700 youths each week, "and more in the summertime," Waters said.

Juliaette Smith watches from her wheelchair in the parking lot as the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center is torn down on Monday. Smith was a former supervisor at the center working with children.
Juliaette Smith watches from her wheelchair in the parking lot as the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center is torn down on Monday. Smith was a former supervisor at the center working with children.

Known as the Glenwood Recreation Center when it opened in 1982, the building measured about 17,000 square feet, according to Sean De Palma, director of the city's Quality of Life department. The gymnasium was removed due to damage caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018, but the 12,000 square feet that remained had been secured.

The City Commission approved plans in February for the new rec center.

This is an artist's rendering of the new state-of-the-art facility, looking from 15th Street.
This is an artist's rendering of the new state-of-the-art facility, looking from 15th Street.

The new one will be about 38,000 square feet — more than twice the size of the old rec center, De Palma said.

City officials have said construction is expected to be completed by June 2024 with a grand opening to follow in September. The $14.7 million project will include a community center, a gymnasium, walking paths, picnic areas, playgrounds, a STEM lab and additional parking spaces.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City's MLK Rec Center demolished after Hurricane Michael damage