Construction underway on local youth center
Published 1:52 pm Wednesday, October 5, 2016
A youth center in Jessamine County will soon get an upgrade, thanks to a hefty donation and a renovation plan.
The YMCA is planning to conduct a $250,000 renovation of Caroline Memorial Youth Center located at 220 East Maple Street in Jessamine County. The Coolidge Foundation donated $200,000, and the YMCA contributed another $50,000 to help renovate the center.
President and Chief Executive Officer of YMCA Central, Kentucky, David Martorano, said that he saw the need for the rennovation and pointed it out to the Coolage Foundation, the owners of the building.
The foundation has had a contract with the YMCA since 1977 to help better provide services to the community, he said.
Construction has already begun on the building and it is expected to be completed sometime in December.
There will be both interior and exterior improvements to the center.
The complete remodel of the interior of the building will include brand new classrooms and open space to serve elementary and middle school students, according to a press release from the YMCA of Central Kentucky.
New programming will accompany the renovated building. After school programs will feature homework assistance, games, activities and healthy snacks from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Other scheduled activities include classes such as dance, martial arts, book clubs, art, health living and music.
There will also be summer programs that focus on learning loss prevention in literacy and math skills, social services programs such as adult continuing education, healthy living services, counseling, and enrichment activities that support a healthy mind, spirit and body.
“We just need to make some interior modifications to the center to provide those programs for future generations,” Martorano said.
Martorano said a grant submission for an outdoor playground has been sent to KaBoom, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids.
The upgraded center will be a place were the community can come together, Martorano said.
“The renovation is about being able to serve the community in a deeper way,” he said.
