Sanchez Leads Effort to Fix Davey Lopes with Federal Funds
Friday, August 16, 2013
Councilman Davian Sanchez said he has successfully led the effort amongst the City Council to allot $64,000 of his own funds in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from his own portion as well as commitments from four other council members ($10,000 each) to pay for repairs of the pool at Davey Lopes Recreation Center and expand the facility.
The Councilman noted their goal is to fix both the deep end of the pool, and as well as build a water park structure to the side. "The space is there for that," Sanchez said.
Sanchez told GoLocalProv that in addition to his $64,000 -- "$64,102.50 to be exact" -- other council members have committed funds from their own CDBG allotments creating a funding source in excess of $100,000.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to Sanchez, his colleagues Luis Aponte, Terry Hassett, Kevin Jackson, and Sabina Matos have stepped up to pledge $10,000 each, to bolster the effort by $40,000 -- for now.
"Those are the ones that came out upfront, but if more is needed I'm sure the rest will chip in," said Sanchez.
Mayor Under Fire
In July, a GoLocal report unveiled that leading civil rights leaders called Mayor Angel Taveras' motivation into question. As reported in early July, "A leading civil rights leader says the motivation is racist, two Providence City Council members say the decision is political and national studies show the issue is a critical one of public safety...“This is a class issue and a race issue. I'm angry and I've been this way for years. This administration (Taveras) is making it worse. We have them turning all the pools into what they're calling "safe pools," three and four feet deep--a swimmer can no longer use them,” said former State Representative Ray Rickman.
Sanchez Efforts to Improve Recreation
The Councilman noted their goal is to fix both the deep end of the pool, and as well as build a water park structure to the side. "The space is there for that," Sanchez said. Sanchez is just one of the Council members making the contribution of their allotment of the federal funding towards the rehab of the pool.
The CDBG funds were set aside for facilities improvements at eligible properties in Ward 11. Sanchez said, “The community response to the Davey Lopes pool closure has been overwhelming, and it’s clear that the pool is an asset to the south side of Providence. I am pleased to be able to allocate a lump sum of funding to ensure the necessary repairs are completed and the pool is re-opened.” Sanchez noted that during the July heat wave, young people in his neighborhood had limited options to cool down. Additionally, he said, young people rely on summer job opportunities at the pool.
Mayor's Own Staff Called on Pool to Be Improved in Report
A report on Providence recreation written by a Mayoral Fellow to Angel Taveras – and recently leaked to GoLocalProv -- shows that the city administration ignored its own commissioned analysis, while it has systematically reduced recreation services, notably the closing of city pools.
The report, drafted for the City by fellow Matthew Kramer, was presented to key members of the Taveras administration in August of 2011, and made strong recommendations about improving existing recreation infrastructure and expanding programs for city youth.
The Council approved a resolution introduced by Sanchez in July, which called on the Mayor to re-open the center’s pool.
Efforts to reach Mayor Angel Taveras - who opposes reopening the pool - were unsuccessful.
Related Articles
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- LISTEN- Providence Pool Demolition Costs Nearly as Much as Rehab
- LISTEN- Taveras Cracks Down on Providence Employees Speaking About Pools
- New: Rhode Island State Rep Williams Calls for Mayor to Open Pool
- Taveras Admin’s Decision to Close Pool Called Political and Racist
- Providence City Council Members Weigh in on Davey Lopes Pool
- Taveras Cracks Down on Providence Employees Speaking About Pools
- Providence Pool Demolition Costs Nearly as Much as Rehab
- GoLocal Looks At Providence’s Public Pools
- Providence Youth Outraged at Lack of Pools in Heat Wave
- In Case You Missed It: Secret City Report Made Case for Pools
- South Providence Pool Reopens After 7 Years
