Community center in Jackson draws closer to reality

Full architectural plans for a community center in Jackson are now in the hands of city officials, meaning the center is a step closer to being built.

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said the city recently received the plans from an architect hired by the group donating the money to build the center. The next step is to send specifications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to complete a grant approval that will fund the building of a safe room/multipurpose room inside the center.

Lohr estimates bid requests could be advertised as early as March and that construction of the $5 million building could begin in the early summer. Lohr said FEMA's approval of the safe-room section of the building must be done first. Lohr said she hopes approval could come within 60 days of when plans are sent to FEMA next week.

The process for securing a grant for the FEMA safe room has taken longer than expected, Lohr said, meaning the planning the center has been extended.

"We are hoping this time they will get back to us in a more timely manner," she said.

The grant, for $1.8 million, will pay for the center's multipurpose room to be built to withstand an F-5 tornado. The center could hold up to 2,000 people during a storm and could house emergency operations during times of disaster.

City staffers also will review final plans to ensure the specifications match the city's safety codes.

In 2012, Jackson voters passed a quarter-cent sales tax that will fund the center's operation when it is completed. The revenue also will go toward maintenance and improvements in city parks. A community-based not-for-profit group, the Jackson Community Betterment Corp., formerly known as the Southeast Missouri Medical Center, is donating $3 million for the construction cost. The Cape Girardeau County Historical Society is contributing $200,000.

The center is planned on East Deerwood Drive near Whitey Herzog Stadium. Construction from start to finish is expected to take about two years. Incite Design Studio LLC of Overland Park, Kan., designed the project.

Final design plans for the center call for a multipurpose room that doubles as a gym or auditorium. A portable stage will be included. A second story of the room will contain a walking track. Several meeting rooms, including one for events such as wedding receptions and banquets, are designed to be divided into smaller spaces. The center also is planned to include a historical room, reading room, storage and a catering kitchen.

The reading room will include books for children and periodicals for adults, as well as access to wireless Internet, which Lohr said may allow the city to work in offering an electronic library. Those features are desired by the city, she said, partly because of the closing of the Jackson Public Library at the end of this year. The library is closing because the library district tax revenue is not sufficient to keep the library operating.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

East Deerwood Drive, Jackson, MO