Starkville opens new community center
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A new community center has opened in Starkville.
“Very proud to be from Needmore. Very Proud of it,” said George Tutton, a member of the Needmore community.
Needmore is a community of deep roots and history.
On Friday, community members like George Tutton celebrated the grand opening of their new center.
“Never in my life would I thought anything like this would be in Starkville, in Needmore. This is beautiful,” said Bettie Hairston-Holmes, a native of Needmore.
The new community center replaced an older one that had been torn down.
Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill says it’s part of a revitalization of the city’s public spaces.
“This is part of our renewal for our parks, so we tore down a very old building that was not nearly in the shape that we should be proud of. And we’ve put up a brand-new building to serve the community in ways that the old one did not,” said Spruill.
Needmore is one of the earliest African-American neighborhoods in Starkville.
“It has changed from a dirt road, dirt road in front of my house, up and down these streets, to an almost big metropolis,” said Helen Taylor.
Holmes traveled back home with her daughter to celebrate this new milestone in her community.
“This is my home. This is part of my community where I was born. And this is so nice,” said Holmes.
One of the highlights from the new community center is the new mural that showcases the history of Needmore.
The community center is also available to rent for events and has a new basketball court.
