The GLBT Center is on track to complete their renovations with help from their $147,000 in grant funding and a final meeting with the county commissioners Tuesday.
According to executive director, Terry DeCarlo, everything is on track and the Center is doing final walkthroughs with the architects. DeCarlo said that the Center is going over their “wishlist” with the architects to determine what they can and cannot afford in the final stages.
On Nov. 18, the county commissioners will sign off on the final contract, according to DeCarlo.
“We’re ready and really excited. Everything is finally coming to fruition and we’re at the finish line. We are ready to put the hammer to the nail and start making the center,” DeCarlo said. “We can’t wait to get in there and watch them start tearing things apart! I would love to hold the first sledgehammer.”
There has been one change of plans to the Center’s renovations and it is something DeCarlo is very excited to add: The former walkway at the front of the Center will be torn out and replaced with an HIV/AIDS memorial.
The plan is to create a memorial brick walkway, where community members will be able to purchase bricks in memory of people they have lost to HIV/AIDS or to commemorate any person in the community. According to DeCarlo, the decision to include the memorial bricks was finalized Nov. 12 and the bricks will be on sale while construction is underway.
“We worked it out with the architects and it is going to be very exciting to the community. It is going to be a whole new walkway in place to remember those we’ve lost and share their memories,” DeCarlo said.
He still hopes to have the renovation completed by March of 2015.
