Columbia’s Parks and Recreation department has 78 parks, ranging from its largest, Cosmo park, to 20 neighborhood parks. It has 82 full-time employees and another approximately 600 part-time employees, with an annual budget of about $18-million. Columbia Parks and Recreation director Gabe Huffington joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable.” Mr. Huffington grew up in southwest Missouri’s Buffalo, and began his career in golf course management. He’s been with Columbia Parks and Recreation for 15 years, including about a year as director. Mr. Huffington tells listeners that Columbia’s Activity Recreation Center (ARC) and the Columbia Sports Fieldhouse have been packed recently, as people make New Year’s resolutions about fitness. He also discussed one of the fastest growing sports in the United States: pickleball:
Columbia Sports Fieldhouse improvement project approved by city council
Columbia’s city council has given the green light to a $5.8 million improvement project at the busy Columbia Sports Fieldhouse in Perry Philips park. That’s new Highway 63 and Grindstone.
The plan will add 44,000 square feet to the sports fieldhouse for four hardwood courts for pickleball, basketball and volleyball. It will also include adding a multipurpose room, walkways, additional parking lots and better lighting.
The Columbia Sports Fieldhouse hosted basketball games and practices for 120 local teams and 1,200 kids in 2022. The fieldhouse also hosts events for wrestling, volleyball, dance and cheer.
Construction on the fieldhouse project will begin this summer, with a scheduled competition date next fall.
There are three funding sources for the project: the 2021 park sales tax, the CVB tourism development fund and Columbia’s general fund. City officials say construction on the fieldhouse project will begin this summer, with a scheduled competition date in the fall of 2024.
Columbia city officials unveil proposed $6-million improvement at Philips park
A proposed $5.8 million improvement project at south Columbia’s sports fieldhouse in A. Perry Philips park will be voted on in April by the city council. The measure was first-read this week.
Under the five-page proposed ordinance, 44,000 square feet would be added to the sports fieldhouse, including four hardwood courts, a multipurpose room and seating area, walkways, additional parking lots and improved lighting.
The project has three funding sources: the 2021 park sales tax, the CVB tourism development fund and Columbia’s general fund.
The busy Columbia Sports Fieldhouse in Perry Philips park near Highway 63 and Grindstone hosted basketball games and practices for 120 local teams and 1,200 kids in 2022 and has also hosted competitions for numerous other sports. They include volleyball, pickleball, wrestling, dance and cheer.
If the council approves the project, Columbia Parks and Recreation officials expect it to be done by the fall of 2024, weather permitting.
Multi-million dollar bank project highlights enormous growth near Columbia’s Discovery Parkway
An area business leader who’s the local president of Missouri’s ninth-largest bank predicts that several thousand residents will soon be living in an area of southeast Columbia near Discovery Parkway and Highway 63.
There is construction equipment across that area, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday for First State Community Bank’s (FSCB) new multi-million dollar branch on Endeavor. FSCB central Missouri regional president Joe Miller tells 939 the Eagle that it’s a great opportunity for the bank to serve that fast-growing area.
“The southern part of Columbia continues to grow and expand along the Highway 63 corridor. We’re very excited to be out here in this growing community. A lot of young people, it’s a very vibrant community out here, Discovery Parkway. A lot of subdivisions, a lot of families,” Miller says.
Aria apartments and the Marriott TownPlace Suites are nearby. Mr. Miller predicts this area will be a self-contained community.
“There’s a new restaurant that I know they’re putting in right across the corner here called the Kitchen. A big, new restaurant (and) pickleball court. There’s I think more hotels potentially planned for out here. A lot more apartments planned for out here. So there’s going to be five or six-thousand people living in this community out here before it’s all said and done,” says Miller.
Miller tells 939 the Eagle that First State Community Bank is excited to be part of this. Pickleball, which combines badminton, table tennis and tennis, continues to grow in popularity. Ice skating is also planned in that area.
(AUDIO): Columbia Parks director discusses fairgrounds, park sales tax and pickleball on 939 the Eagle
Gabe Huffington became acting director of Columbia Parks and Recreation on April 4. Mr. Huffington was in-studio for the hour Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable,” updating listeners on the old Boone County Fairgrounds and on improvements happening at the fairgrounds coliseum. Mr. Huffington also briefed host Fred Parry about the significance of …