Residents and others involved in the construction of the Purcell Community Centre gathered to celebrate the opening of what Premier Ralph O’Neal called their new place to “meet and greet and sometimes eat.”
Mr. O’Neal told the crowd gathered for the ceremony that, in order to avoid any more episodes of being “accosted” on the street, he agrees with the people who have told him the new centre should be called the Omar W. Hodge building.
The two-storey building will serve as an emergency shelter for the area, and has a 200-person-capacity auditorium, a kitchen, three restrooms, showers, a senior room, a conference room and an office for the district representative, said Edwin Adams, architect of the building.
Mr. Adams said while the project saw many delays and some bad luck, it is a building to be proud of.
“If I may say so, it looks quite well today,” Mr. Adams said.
See the Sept. 15, 2011 edition for full coverage.