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Panama City opens Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in Glenwood
Summary
City leaders, builders and community members on Jan. 16, 2026, celebrated the grand opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in Glenwood, a roughly 30,000‑square‑foot, publicly and privately funded facility built after Hurricane Michael; the program included dedications, remarks from the builder and architect, and a ribbon cutting.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. — City leaders, community advocates and build partners on Jan. 16 celebrated the grand opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in the Glenwood neighborhood, a project city officials described as "a promise kept" after the original center was destroyed in Hurricane Michael.
Commissioner Lucas opened the event, saying the center was “not just about a building. It is about a promise kept, community restored, space reclaimed for our children, our families, and our future.” The program included a presentation of colors by Bay High School junior ROTC, an invocation, dedications for spaces inside the facility and a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
David Martinez, co‑founder of Burke Construction Group, which built the center, told attendees the ribbon cutting is only the start of the center’s mission. “The ribbon cutting is not the finish line,” Martinez said. “The vision only becomes a reality when this building becomes a home for STEM activities, camp leagues, fitness programs, mentorship opportunities, community events, and everyday moments that shape people's lives.”
Roman Gary, vice president at CCR Architecture and Interiors, described the building’s design as intended to symbolize movement and inclusion: a forward‑tilting façade and multicolored metal panels “to show movement” and to reflect both a modern MLK brand and Dr. King’s original principles, he said. Gary named the firms responsible for civil, structural and MEP engineering and the landscape design team credited in the project.
Reverend Dr. Rufus Wood Jr., first vice president of the Florida Conference of the NAACP, presented the cornerstone and framed the building as the product of decades of community vision and perseverance. He said the project progressed from a renovated barracks to what he described as a "$21,000,000 structure, 30,000 square feet," and urged the younger generation to learn the history and care for the facility.
Longtime rec leader William “Scoop” Waters, who managed the prior center for decades, recounted the rec’s history and the role it played as a community anchor, urging ongoing stewardship of the nine lots that host the facility.
The program also included dedications: a community room honoring Flora Spearman, a reading room rededication to educator Homer S. Jackson Sr., and a multipurpose field dedication presented by former mayor Greg Bernicki to former commissioner Jenna Halligas. Local artists who contributed public art — including the Dreams and Harmony Archway and a Sankofa sculpture — were recognized. A representative of Coca‑Cola United spoke about the company’s sponsorship and local partnership.
Al McCambrey, CEO of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, led the final ribbon‑cutting procession and noted the date of the ceremony. Attendees then moved indoors for performances and community receptions.
The city and partners described the center as intended for broad uses — youth sports and camps, adult fitness and community meetings — and said the facility’s success will be measured by programs and use rather than square footage. No formal policy actions or votes were recorded during the ceremony.
