CLARKS SUMMIT -- By the fall, there will be a new place in Lackawanna County for people to takes classes ranging from beekeeping to bike maintenance.
There was a celebration in Clarks Summit Monday, as some people took a big step to make their vision a reality.
The ceremony marked a milestone for a community center on State Street that has been in the works for years.
“It’s been six years, and they say it's the journey, not the goal, but the goal feels pretty darn good,” said board member Maryann Nichols.
The space on the ground floors of the borough's municipal building was once home to fire trucks. It will be transformed into The Gathering Place. The community classroom currently holds its seminars in local churches, but soon enrichment programs such as the arts will have their own home downtown, complete with a kitchen.
“Now, we will have our own special place, hopefully, a kitchen in the future, because our cooking classes have been very successful,” said Emily Rancier of North Abington Township.
When the project is finished, people will be able to walk into the former fire hall and see craft exhibits, a sitting area, a place to get a cup of coffee or tea.
Sarah Dawgert of Clarks Summit says The Gathering Place will be the perfect place for busy families to learn new things.
“We are parents of three small children, so we don't really get to go out and do a lot of things, so it is so nice to have something right here in Clarks Summit,” she said.
Organizers hope to have construction mostly completed in time for classes to start in the fall.
