Demolition begins on land for new Columbia community center
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Demolition of the old Columbia Health Care Facility at 1801 Towne Drive started Wednesday morning to make way for the new Beacon of Light Community Center.
United Community Builders has been planning and fundraising for this $7.9 million youth and community center for nearly four years. The cost has increased from an estimated $4 million two years ago.
ABC 17 News spoke with UCB Executive Director Damian Dean and he said that this is an opportunity to give back. "This is an area that is consistent with not having the best of many things. A lot of resource desert mode playgrounds for children. And so this is going to be an opportunity to help educate our community through our child development center and also all the programs that we're going to run."
The new center will be 22,500 square feet and feature an early childhood development for up to 50 kids, a full-sized gymnasium, classrooms for after-school academic achievement programs and job readiness training and administrative offices.
"what we're doing here is going to change a generation. A matter of fact, will change several generations," said Dean. "When I'm off the scene, this project and this this complex and this property will be helping Colombia exceed and excel."
UCB describes the community center as "faith" and "neighborhood" based and says it will focus on providing services to low-income families.
The UCB's United Community Schoolhouse program will expand to the Beacon of Light Community Center to help the kids that go to neighboring schools. "we want to expand that to be able to meet the needs of northeast Colombia," said Dean. "And so two of the schools that we service that are going to be over in those areas, Blue Ridge Elementary School and Alpha Heart, and we'll be able to help them with tutoring, reading, writing and mathematics. And then this is a technology age. So iPad using technology to help children learn."
ABC 17 News also spoke to John Burke, who lives near the new community center, says that there are a lot people with children in that area.
"with mothers going through a lot of problems to help them a lot, especially for someplace safe for them to go. So they know that they're being well taken care of and everything," said Burke.
