A ribbon cutting and grand opening is planned for this month for the New Heights CCDA Laundry Hub opening on Red Arrow Highway in Benton Heights.
The project has been a few years in the making as New Heights Director Chris Britton tells us a need for a laundromat was identified in the area. He says in addition to being a laundromat, the center will offer support services from community groups, making it a true community center.
“You’re washing your clothes, you might find yourself there for an hour or two, so they’re a hub of activity,” Britton said. “They’re often a kind of a heart of a community, and so we’re leveraging that by creating space for human services to be delivered directly to a hard-working but struggling population of Benton Heights.”
Britton says they’ve finished the brand-new building that now has 32 Maytag washers and dryers donated by the Whirlpool Foundation.
It took a lot of work to get to this point.
“It’s been a lot of work, but in other ways, I felt so encouraged by the way the community has rallied around us and rallied behind this project. This project would not be if it weren’t for all these community stakeholders and partners who’ve helped support it.”
Britton says planning for the center started before COVID, and when COVID hit, costs started rising. That made the task of completing the facility all the harder.
The ribbon cutting and grand opening will be May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the center, located at 2121 Red Arrow Highway Benton Heights.
Britton is hoping the center can help spur additional development in Benton Heights.
