County Executive Steuart Pittman joined community leaders and state and local officials to break ground on the Severn Center, a new intergenerational facility to be constructed at 1160 Reece Road in Severn. The outdoor celebration, which featured entertainment, activities, and refreshments, kicked-off the construction of the long-awaited $15.7 million facility.
“I committed to making this center a reality before I even took office, and I am so appreciative of the advocates who, for the last two decades, have never given up,” said County Executive Pittman. “This will put young lives on a path to success and provide elderly neighbors with the quality of life that we owe to them. Magic will happen here.”
“I have dedicated over 30 years of my life to building a safe place for our children and youth to play basketball or get involved in programs, but the community has seen some false starts and broken promises. Now that I see something is happening, I can rest a little easier,” said Glenda Gathers, or “Ms. G” as she is known in the community.
“We are looking forward to bringing together the community, including children, youth, adults and older adults for meaningful and intergenerational programming, said Karrisa Kelly, Director of the County’s Department of Aging, the agency that will manage the Senior Activity Center along with the flexible community space once the project is completed.
“This is an important milestone today. We have worked hard to bring together multiple sources of funding and overcome a number of technical challenges to get here. Breaking ground with the community makes it all worth it,” said Kathleen Koch, Executive Director of Arundel Community Development, Services, Inc. (ACDS), the County’s Project Manager overseeing the financing, pre-development, and construction.
Funds were developed from a number of sources and include Video Lottery Terminal funds recommended by the Local Development Council, capital grants appropriated by the Maryland General Assembly, County Community Development Block Grant funds, and a Maryland Department of Aging grant. TMI Contractors was awarded the construction project through a competitive bid process and has a demonstrated track record of constructing quality facilities, including the recently constructed Michael E. Busch Library in the City of Annapolis.
The new facility was designed by Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects and the planned public art installations are being designed by Art With a Heart and artist Nicole Brooks.
