Futures of Alumni Field, Nellie Ackerson building and Community Center discussed at roundtable
Alumni Field was one of the topics of conversation at the most recent non-profit roundtable.
Last Tuesday evening a non-profit roundtable discussion was held by the Community Resource Center on the topic of the potential creation of a community center. In addition to representatives from many local organizations, newly-hired Manchester Community Schools superintendent Nick Steinmetz attended, along with school board member Tom Mann, who gave an update on the status of the Nellie Ackerson building and Alumni Field.
Mann stated, “The Ackerson building will not be used next year for school related purposes. The building will be unoccupied until a plan can be developed for its future use.” He added, “MCS leadership and the board are very open and willing to entertain options that would benefit the community at large. There has been discussion in the community in regards to creating a community center and the school is very interested in being part of those conversations.”
Anita Herman, Community Resource Center trustee and roundtable organizer summed up the community center discussion afterward, “We had an enthusiastic discussion Tuesday evening; the positive energy in the room was palpable. Ideas were flowing … generated by each others’ comments. It was ‘awesome’.”
Ideas discussed for a community center included adequate parking, adult and continuing ed/social classes, art space, behavioral/nutrition/health counseling, a central “call center” for non-profits, coffee shop/gathering space, Co-op pre-school/First Steps Program, rehearsal/performance space, commercial kitchen/Meals on Wheels, Community Parks and Recreation/youth sports, Community Resource Center/Food Pantry, emergency shelter, event space, meeting space, no swimming pool, physical activity space, resale store/clothing exchange/medical loan closet, senior center/intergenerational activities, storage closets/cages, transportation hub, and winter farmers market.
Herman stated, “If we are to move forward in developing a community center, we will need the input and support from residents in the four townships as well as the Village.” If you are interested in helping to pursue one or more of these uses or you had an idea for the Community Center not listed above, email Anita Herman at amherman46@gmail.com.
In addition to the possible future of the Ackerson building as a community center, the future of Alumni Field was discussed. Many residents are interested it its future now that high school soccer will be played on the football field at the athletic complex. Alumni Field serves as the location for Manchester’s Annual Chicken Broil, the Manchester Community Fair, and youth soccer. Mann touched on it briefly during the roundtable and answered questions about it afterward. He explained, “Alumni Field is part of the Manchester School District. The use and maintenance of the field is no different today than it has been for the past many years. As part of our energy plan we will have a new turf field at the athletic complex that will host football and soccer. Soccer is the only formal school activity using Alumni Field at this time. When soccer begins play at the athletic complex next year, there will be no formal school activities being held at Alumni Field.”
He continued, “Alumni Field is not for sale and has not ever been for sale. The school board’s facility committee has held two stakeholder meetings to discuss options as to how the schools could best utilize Alumni Field knowing there will be no formal school activities held at Alumni Field beginning next school year. During those discussions, any and all options have been discussed. The intent of the stakeholder meetings was/is not to come to a decision in how Alumni Field will be used moving forward, but to generate ideas and options for the future.”
When asked if the district was considering donating Alumni Field, Mann answered, “There have been no decisions made on the future of Alumni Field. At this time it is not for sale.” When asked about a potential cutoff date for the school maintaining Alumni Field, he reassured, “The school will continue to maintain Alumni Field and it will continue to be used by all current stakeholders with no changes or cutoff dates.”
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