Politics & Government
A Sneak Peak at the Robert L. Taylor Center
The Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, a 44,000 square foot facility just north of Martin Luther King Boulevard on 301 is opening its doors to the public on Friday.
"This is such a crown jewel for the region," Jan Thornburg, Public Information Officer for the City of Sarasota said of the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex (RLTCC). "People are going to be want to be here from all over."
The 44,000 square foot LEED certified facility sits on 13.3 acres of land and features several amenities from an aquatic park complete with a water slide and splash pad to a recording studio. Other amenities include:
- Indoor and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts
- Jogging/walking trail with fitness stations
- Group exercise rooms
- Cardio and weight center
- Dance studio
- Art room
- Computer lab
- Teen room with a 65" high definition TV and Xbox 360
- Pool, ping pong and air hockey tables
- Childcare facility
- 350 seat multipurpose room with stage, featuring a 360 degree projector
- State of the art kitchen
- Spacious lawn amphitheatre/event lawn
- Playground areas
- Men's, Women's and Family locker rooms
Monthly passes to the center are $16 for individual adults and $13 for anyone under the age of 18. Additional rates include $25 per month for a two-person household and $34 per month for full family pass. All monthly costs include childcare services.
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The facility has amenities to appeal to all ages, but manager, Jerry Fogle, is particularly excited about the opportunities that it holds for kids and teenagers.
"It's a social atmosphere for the kids to come and gather and just enjoy themselves," Fogle said.
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"It gets kids off the street and in here doing something positive and productive with their time. We have a strong focus on teens because that's the age group that tends to fall through the cracks most frequently."
Fogle said that along with sports and video games, there would also be educational activities provided for all ages. Professional artists will lead art classes at the facility, while a seasoned computer engineer would teach classes on how to disassemble and build computers. Additionally, classes in basic computer programs such as Microsoft Excel will be available at the Robert Taylor.
"These kind of classes are great because they'll give kids a chance to build a foundation and find jobs," Fogle said.
Fogle encouraged anyone who is interested in volunteering at the center to contact the facility at www.RLTaylor.com, which will officially go live on Friday.
The Robert Taylor Center has been a community driven initiative, according to Thornburg.
She said that the original facility at the 1845 34th Street location was built in the 1950s and more than due for an upgrade.
The community voted in favor of the penny surtax-funded project in 2008 and has been heavily involved in the center's development from start to finish.
"The citizens advisory group has been involved with everything from design to construction of this complex," said Thornburg.
Thornburg and Fogle expect the center to become a landmark, not just for Sarasota residents, but also for the entire region.
While discussing the 350 seat multipurpose room, which includes a stage and 360 degree rotating projector, Thornburg said that she expects local businesses and organizations will want to take advantage of the facility as a meeting center.
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the center is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 2. Following the ribbon cutting and on Saturday and Monday, the center will host an open house during which the community is invited, free of charge, to get acquainted with Sarasota's newest amenity-packed community center.
