Community Center Groundbreaking Ceremony held

By Felicia Farnsworth

Union Springs and Bullock County are getting their very first Community Center. The Community Center has been a project in the works for a few years now and because of the hard work and dedication put in from the City of Union Springs, Wayne Farms, the Bullock County Development Authority, and the Bullock County Commission.

“The Union Springs Community Center started six years ago when I was a member of the Union Springs City Council under the leadership of Mayor Saint T. Thomas. Wayne Farms began looking for expansion options for jobs in our area which caused the City of Union Springs and Wayne Farms to make a deal to sell our Recreation Center and partner to build a new Community Center with the help of the Bullock County Development Authority. As a lifelong citizen of Union Springs, I have seen the fight for better recreation from so many community activists. The late Sue Ellis, a recreation Board Member, and the late City Councilman, James Anderson are just two of many that come to mind," stated Union Springs Mayor, Roderick Clark.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Thursday, March 9, 2023 and included several local officials. The Community Center will serve as a multipurpose building for the community. With hopes of City Council approval, Mayor Clark says the city will find a way to honor such activists like Ellis and Anderson during the building process. “I’m extremely excited for the citizens of Union Springs and Bullock County to be afforded the opportunity to have its first ever erected Community Center. This project has been a dream for years. We want to thank our partners, Mr. Larry Parker with Wayne Farms, LaDerrick Caldwell, Chairperson and David Padgett with the Economic Development Board, and the entire City Council of Union Springs for making this dream come true,” Mayor Clark stated. The City of Union Springs has chosen Chad Beasley with Beasley Construction as the Lead Contractor, Tim Simpson with Barrett and Simpson as Head Engineer, with McKee and Associates as appointed Architects.

Construction for the Community Center, which will be located on March Street across from the Bullock County Department of Human Resources, is set to begin no later than April 1st with the first phase being completed within six to eight months.