LITTLE ROCK — The city of Denning will receive federal assistance to construct a community center that will also serve as a tornado shelter.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Rural Development approved a $35,000 grant and a $182,000 loan for the project.
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission had already given the city a $75,000 grant for the project in March, said Donna Thomas, Denning city treasurer.
The 1,600-square-foot community center will cost $332,000, Thomas said. By the time the building is equipped with furniture, a radio command center and other necessities, the total cost may be about $400,000, she said.
Thomas said Denning will pay the remainder of the costs beyond the $292,000 being provided by state and federal grants and loans.
Thomas said she hopes construction can begin by mid-fall and be finished four months later.
The new building will be made of concrete and steel, and the entire structure will be considered a storm shelter. It will be built on the site where Denning City Hall once stood. That building, and much of the city, was destroyed by a tornado May 24, 2011, that killed two people.
After the building is complete, a 1,000-square-foot addition made with more standard construction materials will be built to serve as City Hall.
The city’s Water Department building also was destroyed by the tornado, but a new 800-square-foot metal building has been constructed at the site to serve as the utility department. City Council meetings are being held there until City Hall is finished.
“There’s not really enough room for their citizens to come in and participate,” said Fred Mullen, Franklin County’s emergency coordinator. They’ll have twice as much room in the new building, which Mullen said will be “a blessing to their community.”
The new building will seat more than 150 people, according to a joint news release from U.S. Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and John Boozman, R-Ark., and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, RArk. The center will include a kitchen, bathrooms with showers and a backup generator to provide power.
“I’m pleased this financing will address a missing piece in their recovery, allowing the community to build a place to hold meetings and events and take cover during severe storms,” Pryor said in the release.
“These funds will help the community of Denning continue to rebuild from the devastation caused by last spring’s storms and allow the city put the necessary infrastructure in place to provide safety for citizens should tornados and violent storms strike again,” Boozman said.
“These funds will go toward a new community center/tornado shelter for residents, ensuring safe refuge during severe weather in the future,” Womack said.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 07/27/2012