The current center has about 3,000 registered members and serves 400-600 people each weekday. This is done from a facility built in 1983 and is in dire need of an overhaul. Here’s what the new Gulfport Senior Center could look like – if the lobbyists can get the funding.
City of Gulfport/Harvard Jolly
The Gulfport Senior Center will get a $1.5 million boost from the federal government thanks to its inclusion in the list of projects on a bill that advanced through the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in late June.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) released a statement June 30 announcing four Community Project Funding requests that are included in the FY 2023 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The bill may be considered on the House floor in the coming weeks, according to Crist’s office.
Other Pinellas County projects for which Crist reportedly secured funding include $2.5 million for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) to purchase solar-powered, zero-emission bus and facility charging infrastructure for its fleet of all-electric buses; $901,000 for the City of St. Petersburg to renovate community centers in the southern part of the city; and $139,461 for Gulfcoast Legal Services Inc. to provide legal aid to low-income households in the county at risk of being homeless.
“Across Florida, and especially right here in Tampa Bay, we rely on resilient infrastructure and access to public transportation so we can be connected to resources, employment, and loved ones,” said Crist. “As the cost of living continues to rise in the Sunshine State, this bill not only bolsters those critical connections, but also helps tackle the housing affordability crisis and create jobs.”
Crist’s office said the legislation also includes more than 140,000 new housing vouchers targeted to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness and approximately 5,600 new units for seniors and persons with disabilities. Additionally, the bill includes more than $1.6 billion to reduce emissions, increase resiliency, and address historical inequities in transportation and housing programs.
Five projects are included in the $6 million allocated to Pinellas County through the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Half of that amount is for the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum to develop African American history educational curriculum. Also included is $976,000 for Clearwater Marine Aquarium education initiatives for students in Pinellas County public schools; $963,620 for Baycare Health Systems Inc. for a workforce development program to address the healthcare workforce shortage in Pinellas; $500,000 for the Pace Center for Girls to provide free educational and support services to at-risk girls; and $1 million for Eckerd College to upgrade the Galbraith Marine Science Laboratory research facility and equipment.
More than $4 million in Pinellas County funding is included in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Three million dollars are for the Baypointe Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility to create a new stormwater conservation area that will improve water quality, reduce flooding, and provide recreational opportunities. The City of Treasure Island is getting $1.2 million to replace and elevate the City’s aging Master Pump Station to enhance wastewater resiliency and improve operations.
The Energy and Water, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes two specific projects in Pinellas County. An allocation of $949,500 will allow the City of Clearwater to purchase and install solar panel systems on city-owned facilities, and $265,000 has been set aside for the City of Largo to install a solar panel system on the roof of the Largo Public Library.
The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes more than $4 million in local funding: $750,000 for the St. Petersburg to purchase new police communications and dispatch equipment as well as $3.4 million for the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science to monitor emerging environmental and health threats in Tampa Bay, including those related to the Piney Point releases in 2021.
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