McComb getting community building

MCCOMB — McComb will be getting a community building and Mount Blanchard will be getting park improvements with help from $897,000 in state funds. Construction of a community building, east of McComb Family Dental and McComb Family Practice, will be complete by June 2024, Mayor Cathy Schroll said. A state grant of $697,000 will pay for the enclosed building, parking spaces, sidewalks, benches and landscaping on village-owned land. The 3,600-square-foot building will have a warming kitchen, restrooms and gathering space for events, Schroll said. "We had put together a survey for our community … The survey results showed that the people really wanted to have a community building here," the mayor said. "This particular grant you had to have community development and community input. That was one of our main focuses and main drives for the entire grant. We had three community meetings about it and we went from there." The building also will help a daycare, to be built by June on nearby village-owned land south of Dollar General and off Morrison Way, she said. The community building could host before-and after-school programs, fun activities for the childcare center or provide a safe place in inclement weather, Schroll said. Schroll envisions adding onto the community center someday. "Our goal would be to have a large center where we could have basketball, volleyball, host different tournaments. One of the situations right now with the McComb school, they really only have the main gym, and as everyone knows, priority is always given to varsity," she said. "And as the time goes down, the younger kids get to use the gym but oftentimes it's the late evenings. This would be another option for activities from the school to take place there." Mount Blanchard Separately, Mount Blanchard's Hurricane Park will be getting a new storage building for sports equipment and a couple of new shelters. The state has committed $120,000 for the project, Hancock Regional Planning Commission reported. The village will be contributing $9,150 for the improvements. The improvements are likely to occur in 2024. Besides the funds going to the village projects, $77,000 in state funds will pay for administration of the grants and $3,000 will be allocated to fair housing programs, regional planning commission reported.