New Community Center Draws Conventions to Mt. Sterling
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The newly constructed Clay Community Center is symbolic of Mt. Sterling’s renaissance. A point of great pride and accomplishment‚ it serves as a resource for education‚ business and social activity.
The 27‚000-square-foot building‚ which has meeting space for up to 900‚ officially opens this summer for use by area residents as well as local corporations.
“Without advertising‚ we already have several bookings‚ including wedding receptions‚” says David Points‚ executive director of the Montgomery Community Development Board‚ which operates the center.
For example‚ he says‚ the Kentucky Industrial Development Council will hold its annual conference at the center in August. With more than 200 attendees‚ it will be the largest conference ever held in Montgomery County. Several local groups also have booked the center for everything from Christmas parties to meetings.
And other uses are in store for the Clay Community Center‚ quickly becoming a focal point for higher education in the area. Morehead State University‚ which has held classes in Mt. Sterling’s middle school for many years‚ now has a permanent home in a wing of the center. Classes start this fall.
“We’re starting up initially with college credit courses for people interested in earning degrees‚” says Dan Connell‚ MSU associate vice president for academic outreach and support.
Graduate courses in education for local teachers interested in pursuing advanced degrees will also be offered‚ he says.
With a full-time staff and a location of its own‚ “the university will be able to work with the community on lots of different issues‚ from education to economic development. I think it’s a great marriage of two partners‚” Connell says.
One of the goals‚ he adds‚ is to provide education and training specifically geared to Montgomery County’s needs. Some companies have already expressed an interest in opportunities for their employees to earn bachelor’s and associate’s degrees through the university.
If there is a community need for education and job training not currently available at MSU‚ the university staff will serve as a broker‚ working with other post-secondary institutions to help meet those needs.
In fact‚ Sandy Napper‚ executive director for the Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Industrial Authority‚ says a job-training consortium for local businesses also has been set up in the area. Industries work together to identify common training needs‚ finding that joint training is often more economical.
“We didn’t always have a facility to accommodate them‚ and now we can do it easily‚” Napper says. Clay Community Center classrooms are state-of-the-art‚ complete with computers and multimedia equipment.
And businesses looking for expansion or startup locations should view the new center and its facilities as a real plus for the community‚ Napper says. Montgomery County’s manufacturing sector has grown in the last four years despite the national recession‚ and companies such as Nestlé‚ Cooper Standard Automotive‚ Quality Cabinets‚ Hoffman Engineering and Summit Polymers represent a firm industrial foundation.
And Kyosan Denso Manufacturing of Kentucky recently became the first Japanese company to begin production in the area. Kyosan Denso makes fuel system parts for the automotive industry.
“When you see people investing in your community‚ as they did to build the center‚ then businesses are more confident investing in the community‚” Napper says. “That‚ and knowing that we have the facility for training‚ is obviously a big plus.”
Story by Ellen R. Marsden
Photo by David Mudd
