Facilities Updates Across the County
Park House
There’s been a lot happening around Rowan County lately as our facilities continue to grow and improve.
The Park House, located at the new county park, officially opened its doors this month with a ribbon cutting by the Rowan County Cooperative Extension Service. The Extension team is already planning a full schedule of community classes in the building — everything from cooking and sewing to agriculture and youth programs. Their enthusiasm for this new space has been contagious, and we owe a big thanks to our maintenance crew and building inspector for working hard to bring the building up to code, and to the Road Department for preparing the new road and parking area leading into it.
Read our article on the ribbon cutting for more photos and information!
The Park House with handicap access completed back in August.
The new salt barn measures 40’ wide, 70’ deep and boasts 7’ walls from the slab. The capacity of the new shed is well over 1000 tons - over double that of our previous salt barn.
Road Department
Speaking of the Road Department, their move into the new facility at 200 American Legion Way is now complete. The location brings them alongside other county services for easier coordination and better efficiency. The new salt barn is up and ready for winter, and all storage tanks are now set. It’s been a couple of years of planning and teamwork to get to this point, and we believe this new home will serve the department well for decades to come. The new garage is already proving to be a great fit for our mechanics — a top-notch space for a team that keeps the county running and saves taxpayers money every day.
Safe haven baby box
The Safe Haven Baby Box located at the County Services Building has now been installed, powered, and entered into its testing phase. This important project will provide a safe, anonymous way for a parent in crisis to surrender an infant, no questions asked, and ensure that child receives immediate care. We look forward to a ribbon cutting next month, which will be held in partnership with the Morehead–Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy.
Tennis courts
At the county park, the tennis court has been poured and is currently curing. If weather allows, we may be able to seal them sometime at the end of November. Fencing is underway around the tennis court, and we’ll soon be pouring the pickleball courts. The basketball courts are open and already getting good use. A reminder to park visitors — please keep dogs off the courts and in the designated dog park area. The pavilion can now be reserved by calling Dylan at the Judge’s Office (606-784-5151), and the reservation schedule is posted at the nearby information board. Security cameras are in place, with more to be added soon, along with a new entrance gate and wayfinding sign. To read more about the new playground plans, check in on the Director Reports article this month!
The newly poured tennis courts at the Harry T. Clark Community Park.
Senior Center
Finally, the Senior Center project continues to move forward right on schedule. The last brick is expected to go up within the next couple of weeks, with interior painting already underway. We’re still anticipating final completion in the first quarter of next year, and we look forward to welcoming our seniors into a bright, modern space built with them in mind.
An interior look of the Senior Center kitchen where blueprints are laid about.
The wide window opening pictured above will soon be the serving bar for senior meals.
Rowan County’s progress is always the result of teamwork — from the crews who build and maintain our facilities, to the community members who show up to celebrate them. Each of these projects represents an investment in our people and our shared future, and we’re proud to see so much good taking shape across the county.