Photos of New Sadie Johnson Community Center Construction
November 16th, 2012 by Joe Burgess
The new Sadie Johnson Community Center is coming closer to being turned over to the city, with a contract completion date of late December.
The Parks Commission and City Council are currently deciding how to pay for the facility’s furnishings.
The front entrance, shown here, will have a circle drive, according to ETC Engineers.
The front entrance to the community center is a double glass door, which leads to a foyer, that provides access to both meeting rooms.
The east end of the building houses the smaller of the two meeting rooms. The photo also shows the air ducts, and wiring, which will be covered by the ceiling tile.
The larger meeting room is located on the west, or left side, of the building. The kitchen area can be entered from the back of the meeting rooms.
The floors of the entire facility will be”stained concrete.”
The east side according to most of the responders is the result of the citizens there. The community development initiatives on the east end begin and ended with James Jordan and Billy Hartness and a Park Commission headed by Charley Dearman and JC. Nichols and a Park Superintendent by the name of Dewey Henley and more than caring and dedicated African American by the name of Albert Williams and finally and not least the entity that gave Monticello it’s first Multifamily Housing Facility, Rev. JD Jamison and the Pilgrim Rest AME Church. That was 40 plus years ago and since that time, not one entity attempted to utilize the wide variety of resources that were and are available to today via community block grants, USDA/Rural Development, Arkansas Development Finance Authority for the over qualified east side. The University of Arkansas School of Custom Design did a comprehensive feasibility and enhance ability study of Monticello less than five years ago and the East End except for a worthless splash pad is the only development. The swimming pool was politically forced out of service at Jordan Park along with all other amenities for the cultural enrichment development of this socially depressed third world arena in Monticello, which is moderate to low-income. The Sadie Johnson Building is an under construction certified, bonded, licensed Contractor/Architect venture. The discovery was from over hearing the certified entities of fact state not interested in the flaws and they are the ones accountable. All of this shifting sand etc. is not the issue, this facility is in construction development and general inspection is an ongoing process and if there is a problem it is there liable duty to repair it. That is the issue here whether the East End or West End. If there is a discrepancy the Administration and Council have the responsibility to force the resolution or summon Federal/State Regulatory entities to inspect and resolve the issue. The voice and representative body of the citizens of Monticello is the Office of the Mayor and Respective Alderman constitutionally elected to seek immediate resolution. The Sadie Johnson Building is not an East End Facility, it is a Community Center that is available to all entities making it a Monticello Issue. Yes the East End has serious Environmental, Health, Safety, Hazards and the EPA and OSHA entities via the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Arkansas Department of Health, Federal OSHA are aware and have and or inspecting the pros and cons of this Serious situation that previous administrations after James Jordan just simply neglected and maybe the plans on the table now that the dust is settled on the Presidential
election and in all probability additional community revitalization urban and rural funding will continue as it occurred as result of
stimulus and American Recovery Act Funding of the last four years that got Drew Memorial Hospital, Ridgeway Senior Housing Complex, UAM Forestry, First Phase of I-69 bypass, the sewage improvement and infrastructure projects and numerous highway initiatives etc. Passage of the Jobs Bill by Congress will allow greater opportunity to transform the once stellar Ward 3 residential area now in deploy able third world conditions back to First World Standards as Wards 2&4 are and remember give credit there where credit is due to the Private sector initiative with Government Guarantee Assistance via USDA/RDA Business and Industry Charles Fred, Chuck and David Dearman 1995 Development Initiatives transformed this city into the flagship city for urban like commercial real estate development in a rural setting the Lower Mississippi Delta and Mid-South; in addition to Seaark Marine receiving the same assistance. The stellar job that Benji Ryburn and Monticello Economic Development Commission in taking advantage of every available resource from the American Recovery Act Funding and employing them here is proof enough the positive is on the community, so the issue my fellow Monticellians is with the contractor/Architect and for the East End is is under Review and the United States has our interest and well being on the front burner.