Setback for Rubonia on reopening community center now a challenge to Manatee

Fate has once again proven cruel to the residents of the historic community of Rubonia, ever hopeful of the resurrection of their cherished but shuttered neighborhood gathering place. Hope over the reopening of the Rubonia Community Center rose with county approval of a proposal from the nonprofit New Path Academy to acquire and operate the activity hub, closed since 2013.

Then disappointment arrived this month with the withdrawal of New Path following the January departure of one of its partners, the Panda Foundation. The third partner, the Rubonia Community Association, remains committed to providing some services to the community one way or another.

Set between Palmetto and Interstate 275, this is one resilient and determined neighborhood even after decades and decades of apathy from county officials.

Almost a year ago to the day, numerous top county administrators and most county commissioners listened to numerous residents in the crowd of more than 60 gathered at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church -- a meeting too long in coming.

Their frustration over basically being invisible to the county came through loud and clear.

One 70-year resident, George Helmer, called Rubonia "the forgotten stepchild of Manatee County," adding "we don't want to be ignored anymore."

Residents bemoan the lack of paved sidewalks, the poor condition of ditches beside the narrow paved roads, the deficient drainage system that leads to flooding, and the closed community center -- improvements that the county cannot afford, they were told at that 2015 meeting. The center requires more than $133,300 in repairs alone.

A 57-year Rubonia resident attending a December county commission meeting made a telling statement about the community's long history of neglect: "This is the first time I thought you cared about Rubonia," 83-year-old Agnes Brooks told commissioners.

That meeting could prove to be the tipping point in the future of the community. Commissioners voted to pursue a neighborhood action plan that could make Rubonia eligible for federal Community Development Block Grant funding -- should the findings determine Rubonia meets the state definition of a blighted area.

But residents must stand up and literally be counted so the next census boosts their chances of aid; too many residents failed to respond to the 2010 census, one of the key reasons Rubonia was not deemed eligible for CDBG money.

The consultants administering the action plan will conduct a special census as well as a neighborhood evaluation in order to meet eligibility standards. The study remains a work in progress, and commissioners are expected to receive the final report by June's end.

Moving forward after the collapse of the arrangement to reopen the community center, Manatee County promises to come up with an alternative plan to serve citizens and youth. Despite all the setbacks in Rubonia's years-long struggle to resurrect the center, many residents, while disappointed, embrace hope.

Manatee County owes Rubonia every consideration. The county's pledge to arrange an alternative plan to reopen the center cannot come soon enough.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Setback for Rubonia on reopening community center now a challenge to Manatee ."