Foreman residents will soon be able to enjoy a new, fully appointed community center thanks in part to a $250,000 grant provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), also commonly known as the federal stimulus bill. The funds were approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the grants division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC).
The new community center will be located in the old city hall building which also once served as a car dealership before being purchased by the city. City Hall operations, which included a public computer lab, were forced to evacuate the building after flooding caused extensive damage. Although the city hall was relocated, the public computer lab could not be replaced, and the original structure remained in the city’s possession as officials hoped to one day renovate and redevelop it for public use. With the news of the block grant award, that hope will soon become a reality.
In addition to a large forum suitable for meetings and other public functions, the center will also house a brand-new computer lab to replace the previous one lost in the flood.
No definitive completion date has been given, but plans are now underway to start work on the project with construction set to begin in the near future.