The Auburn City Council unanimously approved a revised Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan for the 2016 fiscal year at its meeting Tuesday, June 5, 2016. The plan includes more than $500,000 in funding for renovations of the Boykin Center.
The Boykin Center houses the Auburn Day Care Center, seniors programs, free-play basketball and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County.
The revised action plan will include the Boykin Center as a "major project", according to Council documents.
In total, Boykin will receive $524,542 for renovations.
The plan also allocates funding for other administrative, housing, public facility improvement, public infrastructure improvement and public service activities. The funding is provided by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Last year, Auburn received $469,551 in federal funding, and this year, the city will receive $488,410 in funding.
Other funding for the Boykin renovations will come from program income from the Affordable Housing Program and Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, as well as un-programmed funds from the previous action plan.
"We've done a lot of what I would say is patching," said City Manager Charlie Duggan. "We've done a lot of good work, and Boykin is a lot better than it was 20 years ago, but this is the first real, true, massive renovation we're planning to really upgrade the whole place and make it look nice."
In other City Council news, the Council:
- Approved a $21,000 contract with River Region Sports Fields for aerification at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
- Approved an annual lease agreement with First Transit Inc. for loading and unloading locations for the SGA's "Tiger Ten" evening transit shuttle on the north side of West Magnolia Avenue between College Street and Wright Street.
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