ECC Wall-Busting Ceremony 9.23.2024

Updates from the Etna Center for Community

Week of September 23-29, 2024

Above. Wall-busting ceremony video.

To celebrate the official start of construction, we (Etna Community Organization) invited State Senator Lindsey Williams, State Representative Lindsay Powell, and their respective Chiefs of Staff, Megan Winters and Brennan Coleman, to participate a ceremonial "wall-busting" event on September 23, 2024.

1. Custom construction helmets. 2. Rep. Powell greeting Megan Winters, Sen. William's Chief of Staff.. 3-4. Sen. Williams at Wall-Busting Ceremony.

The ceremony began with a tour of the building, followed by a discussion of the upcoming work. Sen. Williams and Rep. Powell each sat down for an interview (see video above) to reflect on this long-awaited day and significant milestone - one they both helped us (Etna) achieve through their unwavering support and commitment.

Above. Etna Community Organization staff and board members joined by Sen. Williams, Rep. Powell, Megan Williams, and Brennan Coleman.

The future site of the Etna Center for Community, located at 341-343 Butler Street, was originally configured as two distinct retail spaces separated by a long hallway and stair, providing access to the second floor residences and third floor social hall. As part of the future renovation, the stair will be relocated and the separating walls removed to create an interconnected ground floor for the library and community center. The "wall-busting" ceremony symbolically knocked down the "walls" between these two spaces, offering us our first glimpse of the open, unified area to come.

Wall-busting: 1. Rep. Powell and Sen. Williams. 2. Megan Williams (Sen. Williams' Chief of Staff), Brennan Coleman (Rep. Powell's Chief of Staff). 3. ECO Board Members: Bridget Barrett, Alexis Boytim. 4. ECO Board Members: Ryan Gott and Nick Haberman.

As the wall panels came down, cheers, laughter, and sounds of joy echoed through the space. The time and effort invested in visioning, project planning, community engagement, and fundraising had finally brought us to this moment - a tangible result. With full construction on the horizon, there was a deep sense of relief in having reached this milestone, knowing we had persevered through daunting obstacles and never gave up.

Future work anticipated:

Continue exploratory demolition work.
Begin asbestos abatement.
Begin selective demolition bidding.
Start selective demolition scope of work.