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Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News October 28, 2004 By ANTOINETTE RAHN, Daily Tribune Staff The Centralia Center is garnering statewide honors less than a year after it opened. The facility, a multi-agency aging resource center in downtown Wisconsin Rapids, recently was recognized by the Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women. The facility received the Grass Roots award at an Oct. 21 banquet in Milwaukee. The award is given to an organization that has built community support and helped revitalize a neighborhood, according to the real estate association. A total of 32 projects were nominated for honors in Wisconsin this year, and the organization awarded seven. Merits of winning projects included job creation, economic development, creative use of space, community impact, architectural merit or minority and cultural contributions. "It certainly has turned out to be a nice facility." The Centralia Center, a former Wal-Mart building next to Rapids Mall, is one part senior center - including the Lowell Center, Aging Resource Center of Wood County and Park Place Adult Day Services - and one part lease area. The lease section is home to a variety of health, communications and care agencies. Funding for the project came from the city, county, private donors and a state Department of Commerce community block grant. The partnership between the city of Wisconsin Rapids, Altmann Construction Company, Viebicher Associates Inc. and the center's tenants was celebrated through the award, said Mary Jo Carson, facility coordinator. "I find this award particularly interesting because it's for economic development," said Carson, a retiree of the state Department of Commerce. "To me, this demonstrates to the rest of the state that we know what we're doing up here. "(The architect) introduced everyone in the group at the (award) banquet, really demonstrating the whole partnership that occurred through this project." The architect of the $5.1 million building, Meg Roback with Viebicher Associates of Reedsburg, was honored for her design. However, Roback's service goes beyond the building's design. "It was very nice for Meg to get the recognition she deserves," said Tommi Mann, director of the Lowell Center. "(Meg has) been invested in this for at least a decade. She was there when we first started talking about plans for the center." The award helps bring more attention to the center, but on any given week, there are visitors from other locations taking a look at the center, gathering ideas for their own projects, officials said. "We have a lot of people who stop to see the facility because of the architecture," Mann said. It's a project the community can take pride in, said Tom Altmann, of Altmann Construction Company. "All the requirements of the Grass Roots award this building hit right on," Altmann said. "It was a great project to be involved in." You can reach Antoinette Rahn at 422-6726 or arahn@wisconsinrapidstribune.com
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