“It’s a great day!” beamed Al Larson, board member of the Eureka Springs Community Center Foundation, as he and other board members and a small group of citizens gathered Sept. 1 at the former high school property, which on that day became the site of the Eureka Springs Community Center. “We’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”
Board members Jean Elderwind and Fatima Van Zant sported rings of freshly color-coded keys for the doors, and hirsute board member Bill Featherstone arrived looking like he’d been lost in the woods for months.
Featherstone told the crowd the Foundation was still struggling toward the end of spring to raise the $200,000 it needed to take possession of the property from the Eureka Springs School District, so he decided “in a weak attempt to raise awareness” he would not shave until the Foundation actually took possession of the site.
“Somehow, we did it,” he remarked, “and as of today, we have a community center in Eureka Springs.”
To honor the moment, his wife Connie applied electric razor to facial hair as those gathered cheered her on.
As for what is next for the property, Foundation Chair Diane Murphy said removal of asbestos from B-100 would begin during the week of Sept. 5 and take maybe ten days. The board is working with architect Chris East of Cromwell Architects Engineers of Little Rock to get bids for razing B-100. The school board committed to paying for this project although Murphy said the Foundation might also have to participate, depending on the final bid.
Murphy also stated the school board intends to pay for repair of part of the roof of B-300. Larson, also a member of the school board, will shepherd the school board through that process.
Murphy and Elderwind explained their board came out of its recent planning retreat with plans for what to accomplish each quarter going forward, and early on the To-Do list would be repair of bathrooms in B-300 once the roof is repaired. They intend to have the gymnasium ready for activities by Jan. 1, 2017, even if for only a few hours at a time.
Murphy said having the facility open to activities would mean having a staff person on site. The board has not yet developed a job description for that position.
The Foundation also intends to work toward setting up a long-term site for the farmers’ market.
Larson said within the next year, he expects the site not only to have the farmers’ market in place and the bathrooms refurbished, but an exercise trail around the property at least “roughed in” and progress made toward establishing a trail hub on site for connecting different segments of the urban trail system.
“We’re doing it strictly for the community,” Larson commented, and Murphy said how quickly they progress will be the result of continued fundraising. She said the Foundation intends to engage a team of volunteer grant writers to track down financial support for their projects as they are identified.
Bravo!