Salvation Military's MacMurray campus relocation to permit mission to develop – Jacksonville Journal-Courier

The bigger area will enable for the addition of latest applications together with an artwork heart, a maker area, a recreation/teen heart and new applications for youngsters seniors and households.

“We’re so excited in regards to the potential for development at this new location,” Clarke mentioned. “After the acquisition is full, the Salvation Military will make the most of solely a portion of the constructing whereas renovation takes place. We’re open to sharing area with different businesses that assist comparable purchasers.”

The present constructing at 331 W. Douglas Ave. shall be put up on the market, Clarke mentioned. It has been The Salvation Military’s headquarters in Jacksonville for the reason that Forties. The Salvation Military has been part of the neighborhood since 1887.

One of many main initiatives would be the growth of the Shopper Selection meals pantry, which shall be within the former college bookstore.

“The meals pantry presently has 150 to 200 households store the pantry every week and has supplied greater than 600,000 kilos of meals to the neighborhood over the past 12 months,” Clarke mentioned. “Our objective is to extend the dimensions of the pantry in addition to the quantity of meals we offer. A objective of 1 million kilos of meals per yr has been set for the brand new facility.”

A brand new program, Pathway of Hope, will present individualized companies to households with youngsters who wish to break the cycle of disaster and vulnerability that repeats era after era.

“It seeks to handle the basis causes of poverty along with the military’s historical past of compassionate serving,” Clarke mentioned. “By serving to households overcome challenges like unemployment, unstable housing, and lack of training, we are able to lead households down a path towards elevated stability and, finally, self-sufficiency.”

Plans for a brand new artwork heart embrace portray, canvas, wooden, ceramics and extra, Clarke mentioned.

The maker area is a collaborative work area for making, studying, exploring, and sharing that makes use of high-tech to no-tech instruments.

“These areas are open to youngsters, adults, and entrepreneurs and we’ll have a wide range of maker tools together with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC (pc numerical management) machines, robotics, soldering irons, clothes design and extra,” Clarke mentioned.

Some companies will stay the identical, simply supplied at a distinct location, Clarke mentioned.

“We are going to proceed to have a free lunch program Monday via Friday, which presently serves 40 to 70 meals per day. We are going to proceed to be open as a warming/cooling daytime shelter,” Clarke mentioned. “We are going to proceed to serve these in want with crucial social companies.”

The Salvation Military had earlier bid on a constructing simply east of downtown, however that deal fell via when the proprietor determined in opposition to extra checks on the property and took one other supply as a substitute.

MacMurray College closed Could 25, 2020, after 174 years due to an untenable monetary place. A number of buildings on campus have already been repurposed together with the previous Putnam Middle for Wonderful Arts constructing at East State Road and North Clay Avenue which now homes the Morgan County Well being Division.

The cluster of buildings that embrace the Gamble Campus Middle have been bought at public sale by Turner Portray & Development for $131,250 in early 2021. Additionally bought on the time have been the Jenkins Training Advanced, Henry Pfeiffer Library, and Percy Julian Corridor.

In accordance with info from MacMurray College, the Gamble Campus Middle was completed in 1965 and helped unite the north and south campuses. A central location on campus, the open idea constructing was the hub of pupil exercise the place pupil organizations met, and college students frolicked.

Housed within the Gamble heart have been the bookstore, campus safety, well being companies, the mail heart, spiritual life, residence life, pupil life and Piper’s Grill. Situated upstairs have been varied assembly rooms in addition to the Ann Orr Dance Ground which had movable partitions that allowed for the massive space to be divided into convention rooms.