DRYDEN, NY (607NewsNow) — On February 11th, the Dryden Center for Community completed the purchase of the United Methodist Church building located in the center of the Village of Dryden.

The building will be used for public events, community meals, music and creative arts lessons, and multigenerational events. “After months of community conversations and amazing support from so many individuals and families, we are ready to get to work on making this the community center that Dryden needs”, said Stephanie Ortolano, the Executive Director of the Dryden Center for Community.

The closure of the Methodist Church which left a gap in community events and gatherings. “From the time I convened the first meeting of people to talk about a community center back in March, the energy and support from everyone in the community was just incredible,” said Tom Sinclair, President of the DCC, “It was a leap of faith that we could do this together, and we did it.”

Starting fundraising for the center in September, members of the village contributed over $320,000 by the end of the year, which more than covered the $275,000 purchase price and allowed for the beginning of hiring staff and facility renovations.

Dryden’s Village government revised the Village Code and made the project its highest ranked proposal in the Village’s New York Forward Local Planning Committee recommendations to the State of New York.

Mayor Mike Murphy said, “An amazing group of individuals is creating the Dryden Center for Community. It’s a great gift to the Village.” The Center for the Arts of Homer served as the Dryden Center’s fiscal sponsor while it was awaiting its designation as a charitable nonprofit, and continues to provide invaluable technical assistance to the organization. “We are so grateful to the folks in Homer for their generous support and look forward to continued collaboration with them”, said Ortolano.

“Now that we have our building, the real work of getting programs and activities up and running can begin,” Ortolano said. “We have dozens of people ready to volunteer their time, talent, and muscle to get our doors open and our programs running. This is just a beginning step toward our vision to be an inclusive gathering place where the sounds and sights of community creativity always stream through its open doors.”

Find more information about the center at their website here.