Chelsea Residents Meeting to Brainstorm About a “Chelsea Community Center”
“OPEN GYM TIME for drop-in basketball, after school space and programs for tweens, art studio space, open fields for pickup games, outdoor courts for pickleball, educational programming, community spaces, perhaps a community pool — imagine the possibilities that a Chelsea Community Center could offer!” states a promotional piece posted to a Community Facebook page “Chelsea Community Center.”
While Ann Arbor City Council struggles to keep its pools funded, its parks mowed and senior centers open, Chelsea residents are dreaming about how a community center for that city could serve residents.
Trinh Pifer is director of the Chelsea Senior Center and on the exploratory committee for a community center. Pifer told ChelseaUpdate.com:
“We know there are a lot of resources in Chelsea. We know there are gaps. At the Aug. 9 event, we want to engage the community to better understand the level of interest in a community center and find out what people want.”
The exploratory committee is comprised of representatives from the Chelsea school district, the City of Chelsea, the Chelsea Senior Center, SRSLY, and local businesses and residents. The group has been working towards collecting information and interest from the community.
On Saturday, August 9th, Chelsea area residents are invited to a community event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Washington Street Education Center (the old high school). Free family-friendly activities will include bicycle checks, yoga, pickleball tournaments, soccer clinics, and art and cooking demos.
It’s an event meant to inspire Chelsea residents and to share ideas, suggestions, and thoughts about what they would like to see in a Community Center.
This August 9th event is a first step towards connecting with the community and soliciting your feedback. The exploratory committee is also working towards conducting a formal feasibility study later this year.
Committee member and Chelsea Senior Center Board Vice-President, James Alford, notes that “A Community Center would add both healthy alternatives for intergenerational activities and an increased desirability as a place to live for all ages. The feasibility study would answer the questions that need to be answered: is it sustainable, what activities are needed, and would our residents be engaged and active in healthy life choices offered by such a center?”
The proposed location for a Chelsea Community Center is at the Washington Street Education Center. This campus currently houses the school administration, the Chelsea Senior Center, and several other non-profit organizations and businesses.
Andrew Ingall, Chelsea School District Superintendent, noted, “We have the community interest, but a rigorous feasibility study would ensure that resources are prioritized and that a sustainability plan is developed.”
According to Reiley Curran, committee member and SRSLY Coalition Director, “The SRSLY coalition will work closely with the committee to ensure youth have a seat at the table and a voice in the development and creation of a Community Center in Chelsea. This will not be a ‘teen center,’ but it will be a center that includes and values teens, and that will have a positive impact on the lives of Chelsea youth.”
For more information and/or to share your thoughts and feedback, please call (734) 433-2208 or email chelseacommed@chelsea.k12.mi.us.