SUMTER, S.C. — The Birnie Hope Center is one of three community centers in Sumter. Right now, there are only 20 parking spots available.
Soon, that will change after the City Council authorized a contract for the improvements project.
Shelley Kile is the communications and tourism director for the city of Sumter.
"It's going to triple," she shared about the lot. "We allow the community to rent these out for birthday parties and anniversary parties and just different things for the community - so to expand that, allow people to park more safely, have better accessibility to the front of the building."
Kile tells me this project has been in the works for years after the city received a hospitality bond to expand the center and the park outside.
"After doing our due diligence and our paperwork with state and federal agencies to make sure we can put all this in that it's finally coming to fruition and we're going to be able to start on that very soon," Kile shared. "We've been trying to do a lot of that behind the scenes work in making sure environmental is taken care of, so when we do start, we can get done as soon as possible."
Doretha Byrd has lived right across the street for 10 years and says she’s watched people utilize the center almost every day.
"Ohhh, I feel it’s a nice thing to do in the community!" Byrd shared.
These are the plans for the construction, which will be finished in about a year. The park will expand up to Oakland Avenue and right along S. Guignard Drive.
"We just want to make sure that we're being good stewards to the land that's here," Kile said. "Good stewards and neighbors to everybody that lives around here."
The center will still be open every day except Sunday, as usual, during the construction.