Love Community Center Progress and Updates Great Drone Footage April 12, 2024 Introducing the Love Community Center April 3, 2024 Rush County’s new community center – a dream for decades, in the planning stages for four years, and under construction since September 2023 – will officially be named the “Love Community Center presented by Jay and Christie (Kile) Love.” The couple has made a seven-figure donation, which will serve as the lead gift of a capital campaign for operation and sustainability of the facility through RCCF. “We are excited to see this project becoming reality for Rush County and are thrilled to help ensure its future financial footing,” notes Jay Love, a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. “This project will address many of Rush County’s most pressing issues – food insecurity, convenient access to comprehensive social services, and health outcomes. It will improve the quality of life with many positive educational, social, and recreational opportunities.” “The possibilities this facility will allow my hometown and the benefit it can provide to all Rush Countians makes it a worthy cause for us to support,” adds Christie (Kile) Love, a 1975 graduate of Rushville Consolidated High School. “We have great pride in my family’s roots in Rush County and this project. Our ability to help the community center move forward to fill needs in the community is very rewarding.” The Love gift will be facilitated through the existing Ebert H. and Bessie M. Schroeder Fund at the Rush County Community Foundation. The fund was created in 2020 by Christie’s mother, Wilma Jo Kile, in the name of Christie’s maternal grandparents, with the specific intent of sustaining the community center for generations to come. “Words cannot describe the energy and excitement Jay and Christie’s gift brings to this project,” states RCCF executive director Chris May. “Their generosity and leadership in seeing the impact this facility and their gift will make for Rush County is an immense and much-appreciated gesture. On behalf of all Rush Countians, I offer a heartfelt ‘thank you!’” The Love Community Center presented by Jay and Christie (Kile) Love, will be a 68,500 square foot facility housing a new fitness center including an indoor pool, a new 70-plus seat childcare operation, the relocated Rushville Public Library, the relocated Rush County Community Assistance food pantry, and multiple social service offices. Additionally, it will offer multiple community meeting rooms and incorporate outdoor gathering spaces. It occupies the former Walmart building at 1850 N. Main St., Rushville and is slated for completion in late 2024. For more information on the facility, read here. Contributions toward operation and sustainability of the Love Community Center are being solicited through the Rush County Community Foundation. Contact RCCF executive director Chris May at (765) 938-1177 or cmay@rushcountyfoundation.org to learn more about how you can support the project. READ MOREShow less Taking Shape February 16, 2024 More Foundation Work February 2, 2024 Watching the foundation for the basketball court/walking track and swimming pool take shape. The delivery of steel beams means the walls can’t be far behind. Thanks to the City of Rushville for the great overhead photos! Take a Tour! January 18, 2024 Walls January 16, 2024 Things are really starting to take shape! Great photos from the Rushville Public Library. Nicki Kirkoff, RPL Director, is looking good in her safety gear, don’t you think?! Bird’s Eye View December 15, 2023 Some great aerial shots from the City of Rushville’s Facebook page. Sound Up December 7, 2023 The old facade is coming down. Be sure to turn your sound up for maximum effect. A Strong Foundation November 29, 2023 Progress is happening outside! Moving dirt to create a strong foundation for new construction. The area in the back will be a basketball court with a running/walking track. In front of that will be an indoor pool. It’s been a LONG time coming but will definitely be worth the wait. Moving Right Along October 27, 2023 Childcare Survey for Parents of Small Children October 26, 2023 The new REC Center will include an early learning childcare center, which is essential for our county. We want to hear from parents in our community with children aged infant – 5 years old or parents planning to have children in the future. If you meet this criteria, please take our 5-minute survey and make your voice heard. We Need Your Input October 4, 2023 Construction of the REC Center is now underway! With an expected opening date in late 2024, we need YOUR input NOW. Please take this short 3 minute survey and help us plan! https://bit.ly/REC-Center Let the Construction Begin! September 18, 2023 This is a good sign. A very good sign. Groundbreaking Ceremony Recap September 13, 2023 Shortly before the REC Center groundbreaking ceremony began, an uninvited guest, the rain, tried to crash the party. Not a chance. As Rushville Mayor, Mike Pavey, said, “This will be one of the most significant days in our community as people look back.” Guests huddled inside a tent with the overflow under umbrellas. The ceremony began with John McCane, Rush County Economic and Community Development Corporation Executive Director and REC Center Committee Chairman, naming and thanking the numerous individuals and organizations involved. He announced the naming partnership from Rush Memorial Hospital. There is no more appropriate description for this project than “community-driven.” Chris May, RCCF Executive Director, noted how that change began with the efforts of former RCCF Executive Director, Alisa Winters. “None of us will understand the headaches and the hurdles that Alisa has gone through and over to get our community to this point.” He shared the memories and words of RCCF Board Chair, Karen Brashaber. “The GIFT VII application process required data to be gathered, cooperating partners to be identified and onboarded, budgets to be established, preliminary architectural drawings to be developed, and documentation to be written in a way that would allow the grant committee to see not just the need but the vision. Alisa could have read through the requirements of this opportunity and quietly placed the proposal under a pile of other work and the community would never have known of this possibility. We’re here today because Alisa did not throw the opportunity away. She along with the community foundation staff, board of directors, and many others took on the daunting task of completing the grant proposal and requirements to submit the application to the GIFT VII Large Scale Grant Opportunity on Friday, March 13, 2020, also known as the day the world would stop.” On December 1, 2020, Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded RCCF a $5million grant that would jumpstart the project. This was the largest award made from this state-wide initiative. “Lilly Endowment saw something from the outside that we already knew from the inside – how much this was needed and the impact it would make,” he shared. He also thanked Wilma Jo Kile and her visionary gift that created the Ebert H. and Bessie M. Schroeder Fund at RCCF to support the sustainability of the REC Center. With construction costs funded, this will be the next focus. A slate representatives from local and regional organizations would share their thoughts, as well. Rushville Public Library’s Board President, Anna Jo Richards, said their excitement over a new facility accessible to all and the opportunities for expansion of materials and programming. “As we move into the next phase, I only see us becoming a bigger partner and team player in our community. Although we will be sad to leave our historic building, the possibilities bring us joy.” She closed with a quote from late President John F. Kennedy, Jr., ‘Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.’” Fred Glass, CEO of Gleaners, an Indianapolis-based partner of Rush County Community Assistance food pantry, praised their innovative work. Gleaners contributed $500,000 to RCCA’s space at the REC Center, their largest grant ever. Darilyn Bedel, Board Chair of RCCA and key collaborator on the REC Center concept, beamed. “I am ‘over the moon’ excited! This will be a game changer for our community. To have a place that improves the health and well-being of a community and to have had nothing but a dream or vision five years ago to what we have today is nothing but incredible. I could not be more proud to call Rushville home!” Are you noticing a trend? Organizations throughout the state realize that Rushville and Rush County are leading the way in rural Indiana with a bold vision for the future. Rooted in collaboration with a “can do” attitude, we are creating a track record of success. Scott Barnes, County Council Member, recalled asking himself if the County’s contribution was the best use of money. “For me, it was a no-brainer,” he said. “We need more opportunities for the youth. These kids need every opportunity they can get.” Initially, the project was to be built in two phases – the social service component first, then the recreational side. Rushville Mayor Mike Pavey knew it needed to happen concurrently. “Every time we did a study about where we go in the future, the community came back and said, ‘Where’s the community center?’” he recalled. “We did a poll every two years, and the highest rated thing was a community center. The community has kept it alive, they felt like it’s the gap we need. That quality of life and quality of place. It’s what they feel like is a piece that needs to be here to keep them attracted to the community and also feel that others who consider moving here can do so without compromise.” He also praised the vision of those who began the dream more than 20 years ago. He said, “They pulled this to a point and couldn’t get it further, but they kept it alive.” “This is a perfect example of what people don’t understand that happens every day in this community. There was a ton of partnering. The City, the County, the Foundation, the Library and all the other organizations. This is a very visible investment in our community that says Rushville and Rush County is a thriving and vibrant place that we want to live in.” “I am proud that this is not just a building. We are talking about the architecture of this building will be different from anything you see in rural Indiana. It is an art. The concept is not what you see in most community centers. It is innovative and it is bold. I think it will re-tune and re-elevate the expectations of people in our community.” He closed with hopeful words. “It will encourage what we call ‘community collision’. There will be people of different professions, social backgrounds, generations, and economic status. That diversity will make Rushville and Rush County a better place, a more understanding place, and a more tolerant place.” And don’t we all want to be a part of that?! Our many thanks to our partners, funders, committee members, day of speakers, community members past and present who have kept the dream alive, Darrin and Thomasina McGowan for photographing, the RCCA board for handling the hospitality, the City of Rushville Street Department for readying the grounds, and to you for all the ways you have and continue to show your support! Share the project with others, make a gift to support the operations, and follow along with the progress. It’s really happening! READ MOREShow less Groundbreaking Ceremony Held September 11, 2023 The word is out. The plans are set. Look for construction to start soon. It’s time to make this happen! The rain showed up during the groundbreaking ceremony, but so did you. A tent for 90 guests overflowed with umbrellas, joy, support, and pride. There’s absolutely no dampening the spirit of this community! To everyone who’s been dreaming of and working toward this, we are grateful for you. Together, we are unstoppable! A community this special deserves a place to learn, play, and grow even stronger. Our time is now, Rush County. https://rushcountyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/groundbreaking-20.mp4 Media Coverage Inside Indiana Business: Rush County transforming former Walmart into all-in-one community center (pdf) Greensburg Daily News: New Community Center coming to Rushville (pdf) Rushville Recorder: The Rush County REC Center coming in 2024 (pdf) GBBN: Small Town Takes Over Big Box (pdf) GBBN: Realizing a Dream in Rushville (pdf) The 765: Rush County Breaks Ground on Transformational REC Center Groundbreaking Date Set August 12, 2023 It’s finally happening! After almost three years of waiting, we are thrilled to share that the groundbreaking of the REC Center will take place on 9/7/2023. This is a transformative occasion for our community. We will soon have a place to gather, learn, play, and grow together. The contractors are lined up. The “i’s” have been dotted. The “t’s” have been crossed. Construction costs are even slightly lower than anticipated. This is more than just a building, it’s a symbol of our dreams and hopes for the future. Let’s do this, Rush County!! Download a pdf of the invite. We are so grateful for your patience and support throughout this long process. Like this? Share it: