BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS OWNER
Through rising constructions costs, COVID and red tape, delays stalled the construction of the new Millbrook Civic Center over the past year. But that dark cloud has dissipated, and the City of Millbrook is moving forward on the new Center that will serve the needs of area senior citizens.
The community is welcomed to the official groundbreaking to be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, in the open lot next to the old Police Department on Grandview Road. Area officials will be on hand, and the public is welcome. Light refreshments will be served.
Tuesday night, the Council approved accepting a bid for the project and authorized Mayor Al Kelley to enter into a contract for construction of the new Millbrook Senior Center. Webb Builders was the lowest qualified, responsible bid at $989,873 for the construction.
A site development plan for the large building was presented last year by Stuart Peters, City of Millbrook Project Manager.
At a council meeting in June of 2020 representatives with the Hampden Sidney Masonic Lodge #67 of Millbrook presented a check to then Councilwoman Olivia Venable to help with expenses for supplies inside the Center once it is built. Though no longer on the council, Venable is the Director for the Millbrook Senior Center, which currently operates out of the Memorial Center next to the Civic Center.
“I am so excited about this new center for our area seniors,” Venable said. “We have some fantastic senior centers in our area, but this one I believe is going to be one of the best and will attract seniors from throughout this area. With its size, we will be able to have a lot of different activities, something we have not been able to do with our limited space at the Memorial Center.”
When construction is complete, and a specific timeline on that is in progress, the area Seniors will have a new building that is all their own.
The City applied for and received a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant to help with the expense. However, the city was prepared to pay for the expense without the grant if necessary. “We have a very active senior population in Millbrook, and this new facility will be able to expand services and allow for growth,” Mayor Kelley said.
A large group of seniors who take part in activities locally were present at a city council meeting last year and spoke about their excitement. They commented how much they appreciate the efforts of the City Council and leaders to create their new daytime home. Others thanked department heads, such as Millbrook Fire Chief Larry Brown for his service, as well as that of his staff. They said they appreciate Millbrook Police Chief P.K. Johnson and his officers for making Millbrook a safe city for families to raise children.
The center will be located at 3771 Grandview Road (former Ashlyn’s Cake Cottage location and former McCrackin Office Products location.) The City purchased both of those lots in 2019, as it is connected to the former Millbrook Police Department already owned by the city.
Since that purchase, the older buildings have been razed. A white tent is set up in preparation for the groundbreaking Thursday.
“We have a vision for the downtown area that we have been talking about for a long time,” Mayor Kelley said. “It is a fantastic plan, that will not be finished in my time as Mayor. But we have already started it by making multiple improvements. We have purchased available land along Main Street downtown. In the not so distant future, you will see this plan come to be. When I was a kid growing up here, Millbrook was basically a bus stop. We had a few businesses, but this area didn’t start seeing tremendous growth until much later. Now we are at the beginning of another boom with new construction for both residential and economic development. It is an exciting time, but it is the result of plans that started long ago. Basically, those that love Millbrook are seeing some dreams become reality, and that reality will continue long after we are gone.”
As for the Senior Center, it will cover a 1.34 Acres. A breakdown of the building is:
4,425 SF total interior space
1,850 SF “Open Social Area” for social gatherings, instruction, meetings, activities, etc.
650 SF Classroom for additional gatherings, activities, learning area
Lobby Area – Entry from exterior, transition to other areas within building
Kitchen – Full function with counter space galore, center island, cabinets, refrigerator, freezer, oven, spacious sink
Men’s and Women’s Restrooms
Director’s Office
Office / Quiet Room
Storage / Mechanical Room
Storage / Janitorial Room
The exterior is “Farmhouse” themed with a spacious front porch, hardi-board exterior, dormers, metal roof, storefront entries and windows.
The design idea was to give it a nostalgic exterior feel with the comfort and convenience of modern amenities inside. It also has a tremendous amount of versatility within the “Open Social Area” and “Classroom” spaces. The long and spacious front porch, columns and slightly elevated stance of the building really ties in to the “Farmhouse” theme, according to Peters.
The exterior “round-about island” is for close proximity drop-off and incorporates an area for creative landscaping.
The back of building patio, backyard and side areas are for possible future organic gardening, outdoor classes, senior activities, etc.
David Mullen – DLM Architect, Inc. is the Architect and Greg Gillian – Larry Speaks & Associates were part of the civil design team.
Pamela Trammell and Leslie York w/ CARPDC at the time of the original plan, along with Greg Clark, Executive Director helped in securing the CDBG for City.
City Council President Michael Gay spoke to the EAN about the overall vision for downtown, commenting on work that has already been done, or is in progress.
“We opened a new City Hall across from the Village Green. We turned the old city hall into an Economic Development Center which shares space with the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce. We gave the entire building a facelift. There have been improvements to the Village Green and Minnie Massey Park. We have also welcomed Window World and new owners for the Smoke House. There are also road improvements planned with our government partners that will further improve the area,” Gay said in 2020.
Currently, area residents are learning about a contract with Downtown Strategies for a path forward on multiple improvements to the downtown area.
As Council President Gay often says, “Good things are coming.”
Indeed they are. Stay tuned.
