VALDOSTA – The City of Valdosta and VLPRA celebrated the official ribbon cutting for a new gym floor at the Mildred Hunter Community Center.

Release:

The City of Valdosta & the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority officially cut the ribbon on a major gym renovation at the Mildred Hunter Community Center.  

The ceremony Wednesday morning celebrated the Center’s brand-new basketball court floor.  The Center’s gym originally had a rubber surface court installed when the building was constructed in 2002.  It had reached its functional limit and the City of Valdosta allocated funds to replace the floor with a hardwood surface which modernizes the space and has a much longer lifespan. 

“We have this absolutely beautiful, classic design which will serve the entire community for decades to come,” said Valdosta Mayor Scott Matheson. “The American Rescue Plan Act allowed us to do a lot of good in our community and this was a great need.”

The City of Valdosta allocated $245,000 of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to replace the center’s basketball court and to replace lighting in the gymnasium behind VLPRA’s administrative office.

“This gym is a refuge for so many kids and young adults looking for a place to simply play,” said VLPRA Executive Director George Page.  “Now they have a gleaming new, NBA-worthy floor they can be proud of and call their own.”

Mildred Hunter Center Supervisor Andre Newson began working with VLPRA shortly after the center opened more than 20 years ago.  He said center visitors have been eagerly awaiting the new space.

“We have a variety of programs in the gym: basketball, exercise classes, our Marching Pride Drill Team,” said Newson.  “Every person who has come into this building has been looking forward to this day.”