BERLIN, Md.- A historic Berlin school site is moving closer to becoming a community gathering place after U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks secured $1.4 million in federal funding for the planned Flower Street Community Center.
Van Hollen visited the former Flower Street School site to highlight the federal investment. Courtesy of the Town of Berlin.
Van Hollen visited the former Flower Street School site to highlight the federal investment, which is expected to help make the community center project ready for construction.
Berlin leaders say the planned center will provide a range of educational, recreational and community services. The building is expected to include the SHORE UP! Head Start Center, Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services summer camp and after-school programs, computer labs and recreational areas.
Plans also call for a museum focused on the history of the Flower Street School and the surrounding neighborhood.
“For the Town of Berlin, this new community center will be a place for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together,” said Van Hollen. “With federal funding we fought to secure, Berlin will transform the site of the historic Flower Street School into a hub with educational and recreational services for residents. This initiative will honor the Town’s history while creating new opportunities and building a better future for the community.”
Alsobrooks said the project will create a place where people can learn, spend time together and participate in efforts to strengthen the community.
“Our communities need spaces where people can go to learn, socialize, and better their community. The Community Center on Flower Street in Berlin will soon become a space of fellowship, friendship, history, and advocacy where children and seniors alike can grow. I am proud that the funding Senator Van Hollen and I worked to secure will launch this terrific project,” Alsobrooks said.
According to Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall, the federal funding represents a significant step toward a project envisioned by the community for decades.
“Today marks a historic milestone for Berlin. I am deeply grateful to Senator Van Hollen for securing this critical funding and for joining us in Berlin to celebrate how far this community-driven project has come. The $1.4 million investment will make the Flower Street Community Center shovel-ready and move us closer to turning a decades-long vision into reality,” Tyndall said.
The Flower Street School site is tied to Berlin's history, and the planned museum is intended to preserve and share that history while the new center provides services for children, families and older adults.
