(Atlantic) Housing construction is set to begin soon at Camblin Hills, and fundraising continues for the Nishan Valley Family YMCA expansion project and the 300-capacity childcare development center.
Nick Hunt, Vision Atlantic Vice-President and Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee, says that to date, $23.8 million has been raised in dollars and pledges. “This is a great start considering we are a town of around 6,800 people,” Hunt said. “We do have a final goal of $39 million.”
Hunt says the immediate goal is to raise $30 million by the end of this year to secure the $8.6 million grant from the Lakin Foundation.
Hunt says this is the largest project in the city’s history, and it is badly needed. He says the YMCA is a tremendous asset to the community. He adds that whether it is either your business or someone else’s, if the owner does not continue to make improvements, things start to go downhill.
The fundraising is for the YMCA and Childcare Development Center; the housing portion of the project is secure. However, Hunt says the housing, childcare, and YMCA fit together.
As far as the housing construction portion of the project, Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman says things are going to get exciting quickly. She says construction on some of the new homes will start next Tuesday, September 2. She says the build will start with two duplexes on Olive Street.
Bateman encourages people to drive by and watch the progress over the next couple of months. She said the construction documents are ready for the construction of the child development center and the YMCA.
Bateman says the construction documents are 100 percent complete on the Childhood Development Center. They have been working with the USDA to secure gap financing to fill the funding gap over a three- to five-year timeframe. Bateman says they are making progress, and once they secure the USDA financing, construction will begin on the Childhood Development Center.
Nick says they’re always looking for more volunteers—whether it’s helping with fundraising, serving on a committee, or taking part in other opportunities to support this transformative project.
Click below to listen to the entire interview with Nick Hunt and Christina Bateman.
