City officials, legislators, community members and more joined together on Monday, November 19 to cut the ribbon on a new community resource and training center at the corner of Busby Street at 5212 Farrow Road.
More than 100 people attended the City of Columbia’s grand opening ceremony for the Busby Street Community Resource & Training Complex.
The facility will serve as a community engagement and resource center for the surrounding neighborhoods. Upcoming programs organized by the City’s Parks & Recreation Department include financial literacy workshops, Ask-A-Professional sessions and exercise classes.
Featured speakers included Congressman James E. Clyburn, SC Congressional District (SC-6); Mayor Steve Benjamin; Councilman Sam Davis; Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine; Councilman Edward H. McDowell, Jr; City Manager Teresa Wilson; Columbia Police Chief William H. “Skip” Holbrook; Randy Davis, Director of the Columbia Parks & Recreation Department; Russell McCoy, vice-chairman of the Columbia Empowerment Zone, Inc. Board of Directors; and Edna Harrison, President of the Burton Heights-Standish Acres Neighborhood.
The Busby Street Complex is comprised of two buildings: the City’s Parks & Recreation Department’s 6,968-square-foot community center located at 1735 Busby Street and the Columbia Police Department’s 1,439-square-foot Office of Community Services located at 1745 Busby Street.
The Parks & Recreation’s community center houses a large multipurpose room that can be divided into three smaller meeting spaces, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, three office spaces, a kitchen and conference room. The community center will operate Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Columbia Police Department’s Office of Community Services is also equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, three office spaces and a conference room.
The Busby Street Complex includes a playground and walking trail.
Pictured: L-R: (Back Row) Christie Savage, President of the Eau Claire Community Council; Russell McCoy, vice-chairman of the Columbia Empowerment Zone, Inc. Board of Directors; Mayor Steve Benjamin; Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook; and Randy Davis, Director of the Columbia Parks & Recreation Department. (Front Row) Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine; Councilman Sam Davis; Congressman James E. Clyburn; Edna Harrison, President of the Burton Heights-Standish Acres Neighborhood; Councilman Edward H. McDowell, Jr; and Henry Hopkins, Columbia Empowerment Zone Busby Street Committee member.