Ground Breaking Ceremony In Malvern Thursday, April 21 For Charles E. and Florence M. Lakin Community Center
MALVERN - The long-anticipated ground breaking for the Charles E. and Florence M. Lakin Community Center will take place Thursday, April 21, 1:30 p.m., on the Mills County Fairgrounds in Malvern. The ceremony is open to the public.
The $2.75 million, 16,000 square-foot facility will be located near the main entrance to the Mills County Fairgrounds. The building will be utilized for numerous fair activities, such as project judging, queen pageant, working exhibits, bingo and other entertainment. It will also house the Mills County Extension Office and have the capacity to seat up to 800 people for educational programs, community events and private functions throughout the year. The facility will be owned by the Mills County Fair Association and built on land leased from the county.
Members of the Mills County Fair Association Building Committee have been promoting and raising funds for the project for more than three years.
“The community support has been tremendous,” Mills County Fair Association Building Committee member Woody Wright said. “We couldn’t have done this without the community.”
The Charles E. Lakin Foundation announced in 2014 it was contributing $1 million toward the project and a $480,000 Vision Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant was secured in 2015. In addition, dozens of individuals, families, businesses and organizations have made financial donations and pledges.
Wright and fellow building committee spokesman Chad McCollester said pledges and donations are still being accepted. A “donor / memorial wall” will recognize all donors to the project. Donations can be made in a lump sum or over a five-year installment payment plan.
Donations and pledges can be mailed to the Mills County Community Building Fund, c/o Mills County Fair Association Treasurer Nathan Mass at 32864 Epperson Ave., Malvern, Iowa, 51551.
Wright said construction on the community center could be completed in 2017, but no timeline has been established. For additional information, call McCollester at 712-525-9201 or Wright at 402-740-4028.