Progress on the Second Phase of the W.C. Reid Center
By Johnnie Grant
The $4.3 million renovation of the Reid Center is making progress thanks to a combination of training and contracts throughout the renovation.
On July 29, Mayor Terry Bellamy, members of the Asheville City Council, City Manager Gary Jackson, corporate collaborative partners, and community members toured the facility.
With the first phase of the project, asbestos removal is completed, and the vast majority of demolition has taken place. The mechanical systems are now being installed.
Green Opportunities trained 16 people, of which contractor D. H. Griffin placed five people in permanent jobs after the first phase was over. The same level of training and hiring, co-director Dan Leroy said, will continue throughout the Reid Center project.
As part of the second phase, 32 wells are being drilled 470 feet deep into the rear parking lot, of which seven have been completed as of May 17, 2013. The renovated center will have new plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. One of the most involved parts of this process is the installation of a highly efficient geothermal heat pump to provide heating and cooling for the building.
GO’s vision for the renovated center is for it to function as a training and education hub in the Asheville area – one piece in a greater web of community focused and centered projects. Housing Authority CEO Gene Bell said he hopes that from this LEED-certified building, the sustainable construction, and the hiring of local people for the project can serve as a model across the country.
“We see the center supporting local entrepreneurial activity and acting as a display for community arts, culture, and history. This vision is achievable with ongoing collaboration and support of community partners, individuals, and organizations,” concluded Bell.
Also in place is the Green Opportunities job-readiness program for culinary careers. During the 2012-2013 fiscal year, GO’s Kitchen-Ready project recruited 52 unemployed youth and adults from low-income, underserved neighborhoods (target: 48). The program graduated 17 of its participants.
GO Kitchen-Ready is implementing more intense screening and bolstered recruitment in partnership with Asheville City Schools, MANNA FoodBank, AB Tech, Lenoir-Rhyne College, the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR), and Goodwill Industries to provide for more detailed and extensive orientation and training. The program participants will serve an added role of supporting the expansion of GO’s food-related social enterprises.
These enterprises will generate program-supporting revenues while providing additional training and employment opportunities for graduates. To date, more than 20 local restaurants have employed GO Kitchen-Ready graduates, and a number of graduates are working for Mission Healthcare.
The Reid renovation was made possible by the award of a HUD grant from the Capital Fund Education and Training Community Facilities (CFCF) Program. Funding was awarded in part due to the Housing Authority for the City of Asheville (HACA), and GO’s commitment to training and employing local residents.
