Hurricane Harvey left eight feet of standing water in Harris County Precinct 3’s Bear Creek Community Center, rendering that facility inoperable and irreparable, and leaving Harris County residents short on a valuable space for the classes, trainings and community activities that take place in community centers across the county.
The new community center to replace Bear Creek, located on higher ground at Clay Road near Barker Cypress, is now halfway to the finish line and anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
The 24,500 square-foot facility will include seven classrooms, three conference rooms of approximately 1,200 square feet each, a 4,000 square-foot community hall and a lounge area. The center is being built to accommodate a variety of activities such as exercise classes, games, seminars, lectures and community meetings.
“I am pleased we have been able to build the new Clay Road Community Center at a better location alleviating the concerns of future flooding,” stated Commissioner Steve Radack. “I know this new Center will bring many decades of enrichment and enjoyment to the thousands who will journey through its doors.”
Hurricane Harvey, which destroyed the former community center, is also the stimulus for much of the funds to build the new facility. The $7 million center is being funded jointly by Precinct 3 and federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds administered through the Harris County Community Service Department (CSD) Project Recovery program and the Texas General Land Office.
The facility is being built with the goal of obtaining LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and has an underground detention system.
“As we rebuild from Hurricane Harvey, it’s important that we do so in a sustainable, resilient way,” said Joshua Stuckey, Interim Director of CSD, which is managing the construction. “The County’s goal of building back better will be showcased in this center, and we look forward to joining Precinct 3 in opening the facility early next year,” Stuckey concluded.
For additional information about Precinct 3 activities, visit www.pct3.com. For information about Project Recovery, visit www.HarrisRecovery.org.