Bowie Community Center

Long-awaited facility to open

A 26-year journey comes to an end this week as the city of Bowie celebrates the grand opening of its new 22,000-square-foot community center Saturday.

In 1985, the Bowie City Council, at the urging of local business people and the Bowie Chamber of Commerce, approved a 4 percent hotel-motel tax that would be used not only to promote tourism in Bowie but also to set aside 3 percent to establish and maintain a civic center. Those tax moneys have been accumulating, and plans have been under way over the past five years to begin construction of a center.

Last spring, the City Council moved forward with $2.2 million in certificates of obligation, plus additional cash from the city coffers to finance construction of the $2.7 million project. Just over $550,000 has accumulated in the community center fund, which will be used to help pay for the city's cash portion.

The city's parks board has been planning the center for more than 10 years, trying to establish a multipurpose center that can fill many needs of the community.

Rayford Pullen, parks board member, said the center's location on the Second Monday Grounds ensures an ongoing revenue stream from vendor rental, which will support the center. This was one of the key factors for its location north of the rodeo arena on the trade days grounds at Pelham Park.

"The parks department tells me there has been tremendous response from trade day vendors," Pullen said. "Second Monday is helping build this thing. We wanted to make a facility that would serve the most people with the most opportunities. We have that now, there is no telling what we can host."

The Saturday grand opening features an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. A ribbon-cutting is planned for around 3:15 p.m., following a dedication program and speakers. Guests also can take tours to see what the center has to offer.

Bowie Mayor Pat Polk said she is excited to see a vision that began in 1985 become a reality with the completion of the Bowie Community Center.

"The successful management of our community center and Bowie Main Street have combined efforts to include the grand opening of the community center, July Jam and the annual Chicken Poker Run to make July 30 a very special day for the citizens of Bowie," Polk said.

TPWD: News Release: May 10, 2011: TPWD to Report on Status of Lake ...

Media Contact: Bruce Hysmith, (903) 786-2389. bruce.hysmith@tpwd.state.tx.us

May 10, 2011

Correction: The original version of this news release contained the wrong date for the meeting. The correct date is May 19, 2011.

ATHENS—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries biologists will host a meeting at 7:00 p.m. May 19 in the Legends Building of the Bowie Community Center to report on the status of the fishery in Lake Amon G. Carter.

Biologists will also report on the results of a recent study documenting the effects of tournament mortality on a Texas largemouth bass fishery.

The Bowie Community Center is located on the east side of Texas Highway 59 about two blocks north of downtown.

The public is invited to the meeting. Anyone unable to attend may send comments in writing to Bruce Hysmith, district biologist, at the Lake Texoma Fisheries Station, P.O. Box 1446, Pottsboro, TX 75076,  or by e-mail to bruce.hysmith@tpwd.state.tx.us.

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