A new community center and an update to the blight elimination program were the focus of the Silver Lake Town Council meeting Wednesday evening.
Wesleyan Church Pastor Gage Norem presented the council and audience with his idea to build a community center and place to worship. He said the church purchased land on Dixie Drive and it is still vacant after 30 years.
Norem said he’s been working on this idea for roughly two years when he conducted a church study on the town. When asked what Silver Lake needed, the general consensus from the community was a “place for kids to recreate,” he said.
Norem showed the council and audience a set of sketches from the architects he has been working with. In the preliminary drawings, the building is roughly 5,200 square feet and includes the option of adding a steeple. Norem said a building like this could be beneficial for the town and would give children a safe place to go instead of being on the streets.
The estimate cost for this building is $300,000 and the church has roughly $106,000 in its building fund. Norem is continuing to apply for grants.
One concern is that the fate of the church building now could be similar to the vacant school building. Norem said the current church building would be sold.
“This is one opportunity to leave a lasting impression on Silver Lake,” he said. “I think about my own kids, I’d love them to have a place like this.”
The council said it will have certain blighted properties in town after Sept. 14. After this, the application must be completed so they can start surveying properties and then they can take bids. The board said the properties can be expected to be torn down by November.
There will be a special meeting regarding these properties Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. at the Town Hall.
In other business, the council scheduled fall clean up for Oct. 14 to 19, which will be similar to last year. The next regular town council meeting is at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Town Hall.
(Story By The Times Union)
