10/09/16 — Former Foster Center focus of meeting

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Former Foster Center focus of meeting

By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on October 9, 2016 1:45 AM

The future of the former W.A. Foster Center -- a building with deep ties to the African-American history in Goldsboro -- will be explored during a community meeting Wednesday.

The Goldsboro City Council will have a public meeting starting at 6 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of the City Hall Annex, at 200 N. Center St.

The meeting is being held in an effort to gauge community interest in the 1938 property, at 516 Leslie St., originally targeted for demolition.

The aging building was closed in April, and a new W.A. Foster Center opened at Mina Weil Park. The Goldsboro Parks and Recreation facility, constructed at a near $6-million cost, provides an up-to-date recreation center, complete with a gymnasium, youth game room and fitness center.

Community interest in preserving the older building surfaced and led the council to delay its decision on the future of the property, said Scott Stevens, city manager.

The council was presented with costs to stabilize the property in September, and a decision was made to hold a public meeting to discuss the property's future.

"It really is meant to be a discussion with community members that are concerned about it," Stevens said. "I do think there's some opportunities to transfer it to a nonprofit. My hope is that a group will want to own it and maintain it."

Building improvement costs include $40,000 for asbestos abatement, $52,000 for heating and air conditioning repairs and $40,000 for roof repairs, said Scott Barnard, Goldsboro parks and recreation director.

The $132,000 cost would be covered by $150,000 set aside in the city budget for the building, said Kaye Scott, Goldsboro finance director. Annual operating expenses are between $15,000 and $20,000.

The cost to demolish the building, which includes asbestos abatement, is $59,000, Barnard said.

The Wednesday meeting is an effort to get a better sense of community interest in preserving the property, with the potential of another group taking ownership.

"I think, fundamentally, the staff would like us to not own this," said Mayor Chuck Allen, in September. "If we're going to save the building, I think this is our best avenue to try and save it."

A presentation about the property will take place during the meeting and informal discussions with members of the community is planned, Stevens said.

The council held a community meeting in early April, with area residents expressing an interest in preserving the property. At the time, estimated costs of preservation and demolition were not available.