By Sarah McCurter
Correspondent
TRENTON, Ga. — Trenton city commissioners were planning to have the city’s newest gathering area open to the public by now. However, budget concerns delayed the process.
Construction was supposed to start last September on the Trenton Civic Center next to the city pool and city park. According to Recreation Commissioner Chuck Cannon, officials expected it to be open to the public by Jan. 1. However, construction was delayed and is now slated for October.
“We had to get cost down,” Mr. Cannon said. “It came in around $600,000; we needed it down to at least $500,000 before construction could start.”
According to Mr. Cannon, material for the roof and wall panels had to be exchanged for something less expensive. The original plan was to have a clerestory, a wall made of windows that would have run along the top of the building. To lower the budget, commissioners had to take that wall out of the plans.
TRENTON CIVIC CENTERPlans are for the center to include:* Art gallery* Assembly hall for concerts, plays or banquets* Full kitchen* Outdoor patio* Animal adoption centerSource: Trenton City Commission
Other than taking out the clerestory wall, the blueprints for the civic center remain the same.
“I am really excited about the animal adoption center,” Trenton resident Annie Rainer said. “It is nice to know there will now be somewhere to take animals instead of them ending up on the side of the road.”
Construction has started on the civic center, and the land is being cleaned and leveled. Mr. Cannon said residents should start to see the framework going up sometime in June.
“Once the ground is leveled, everything will be built. It won’t take long from there,” he said.
Sarah McCurter is located in Dade County. Contact her at smccurter.ctfp@gmail.com.
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