Upper Darby Community Center

Read the full article from the Delco Times here and below: 

Upper Darby Township Council voted recently to move forward with plans for a new Community Center at 7000 Walnut St. that will replace the current multipurpose center.

There is $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act pandemic relief funding available for the project. JMT Architects was awarded the design contract for what is estimated to be a $8-10 million project. The ARPA money brings to nearly $7 million in local, state and federal grant money that has been been applied for or awarded.

Council still has to approve the ARPA budget.

“Council’s approval of this land development, unanimously at that, brings us one step closer to creating a revitalized and unified Upper Darby community,” said Mayor Barbarann Keffer in a press release. “The chance to use ARPA funding to cover some of the costs is an exciting opportunity as well. With the construction of the Community Center, Upper Darby will finally have a place where residents from all over the Township can gather that is also easily accessible without a car. Having the center will not only improve the lives of our residents but work towards revitalizing our business district as well.”

“I am here to support Mayor Keffer’s vision for the Community Center,” said Bywood Pastor Pastor Nathanial Goodson. “I am also happy that this modern building will be erected in the Bywood section of Upper Darby. While I am pleased that the center will benefit all residents, I am equally delighted that it will be in one of the traditionally underserved neighborhoods in our community.”

Councilman Hafiz Tunis said the center will provide a short term economic infusion as well as long-term improvements to the community.

“The recent passage of the Responsible Contractor Ordinance will ensure that the highest quality local labor will be used in the construction of this facility,” Tunis said.

“It’s incredibly important to me that the Community Center offer the highest quality facilities possible, especially for Upper Darby’s youth,” Keffer said. “There are many outdoor public spaces already for them to get together, but really no indoor options. To truly reinvest in Upper Darby, we have to provide a safe place for the young people of our community to play, learn, and grow.”