Tearing down Carver center is a consensus of residents

By a show of hands Tuesday night about 50 Century residents said the best option of the Carver Community Center on West Jefferson Avenue, which was constructed in 1945 is to tear down the old building and build a new community center with the idea of preserving the old school's history.

Tuesday's meeting was a workshop to get community input on what to do with the old building. Another public hearing will be held at a later date before the town council votes.

Project Consultant Robin Phillips said the town received a $2.8 million Community Development Block Grant to address issues at the Carver Community Center and the Community Center on Highway 4 at the entrance of the industrial park.

Architect Ben Townes said the Carver building has a lot of structural damage due to termites and rotting, he also said it is full of lead paint, which is considered hazardous. He added that if all the grant money was used to renovate the old building, it would likely still not be struturally sound.

Townes told the crowd that he had no preconceived plans for the building and wants the community to decide what the best options are.

He said all the reports on the old building "have not been good".

"What would you like to have?" Townes asked. "What are the functions you want?"

He added that the full amount of the grant would not cover renovating the old building.

The other option is to demolish the old building and build a new community center, which Townes said seemed to be the best option.

"The council will make a decision based on what the community wants," said Mayor Louis Gomez. "He just said we have enough money in the grant to demolish it and bring it back."

Townes again said there was extensive termite damage throughout the building and the floor was the only thing in the building that did not have lead paint. He said all the window frames are rotten and leaking and again said if the town wanted to renovate, it would spend all the money and still have an old building with problems.

Townes and Phillips said every effort would be made to retain the historical significance of the building but a new building wouldn't be a replica of the old building.

Townes pointed out that the restrooms would have to be handicap accessible, which means they would need to be larger than they are now.

He added that every effort would be made to keep it the same size, depending on the construction costs.

Councilwoman Sandra-McMurray Jackson also suggested putting up a historical marker at the site if a new building was constructed.

Phillips said since federal dollars are involved there are guidelines that have to be followed.

"We'll do the best to put it back like is is, but in won't be a replica building," Phillips said.

With their show of hands, the group acknowledged that the best option was to tear down the old building and build something new.

The next step will be to bring back some options on a new building and more workshops will be scheduled.