Opening Doors: The MLK Community Center

The City of Huntsville has 26 parks covering more than 2,000 acres, but none is as important to the community as Emancipation Park on MLK Boulevard. Long a cornerstone of the Black community in Huntsville, it is used by all residents and, as Mayor Andy Brauninger noted, the park contains “the most utilized public building in Huntsville.”

After years of planning, resource acquisition, and construction, Emancipation Park added a new jewel in its crown, “The MLK Community Center”. Groundbreaking on this Community Center began in September 2022, and a year later, the doors opened for a celebration of a (mostly) completed Center that is, as many of the speakers noted, “for everybody.”

Background

Before it was a park, the land that is now Emancipation Park was used for hosting Juneteenth Celebrations and other community gatherings.

In 1933, R.A. Josey purchased land to be used by the community for recreation. In 1963, the land became an official city park. Over time, this became not just a neighborhood park, but also what the National Recreation and Parks Association describes as a “Community Park” which functions “on a large scale, serving the parks and recreation needs of an entire community.” Emancipation Park, at 10 acres, is the fourth-largest park in the City, and it is also one of the most developed, with amenities including basketball courts, picnic tables, playground area, horseshoe pits, and off-street parking for more than 100 vehicles.

But it was also showing its age and as the City was preparing its 2016….

…Parks Master Plan, expansion and additional development at Emancipation Park was one of the six top priorities. With the acquisition of additional land, implementation of those goals began.

COVID interrupted that implementation, and it also drove up prices. But, as Parks employee George Perry observed, a “plan delayed is not a plan denied.”

Breaking Ground and Opening Doors

The Center’s opening reflects the work of many people and organizations. Multiple Councils approved parts of the funding and development of the Center; the Powell Foundation provided a grant; KABOOM provided support; the Parks Advisory Board offered key support; a Steering Committee guided efforts; and City staff worked for years on this program.

Many of those people were there for the October 9 ribbon cutting…

…with City Manager Aron Kulhavy; Steering Committee Chair Chris Tyson; Parks Advisory Board Chair Nate Grigsby; Community Praise Ministry Founder Vanetta Mills; Parks and Leisure Director Penny Joiner; former Parks Director Joseph Wiggs; long-time Parks employee George Perry; Mayor Andy Brauninger; Council Member Deloris Massey; and architect Charles Burditt speaking at the event.

The City and community members envisioned a Center that was, according to the Huntsville Item, “modern, functional, and aesthetically fitting for the purpose it will serve.”

So there were high hopes among the approximately 100 attendees as they walked through the doors to see the new building. What they saw did, in fact, reflect the aspirations of the planning committee, with a new stage, complete remodeling, and a building approximately twice the size of the original.

Although the building will not be open for reservations until November 1, this initial gathering for the ribbon cutting suggests that the building will live up to its potential. Not only was the crowd large, it was also diverse, with people from all walks of life on hand, suggesting that the entire community has a stake in the success of what has been aptly named a “Community Center.”

Coda

The ribbon cutting for the MLK Community Center comes days before Mayor Andy Brauninger will give his farewell address to the City, as his fourth term as Mayor draws to a close. But his comments at the groundbreaking a year ago are also fitting for the facility’s opening, appropriate to the spirit of the a Community Center, and a good reminder to public servants everywhere: “This is more than just a building. It’s a good day today. My heart feels good. I love this community, and when I am gone, I hope people remember that we built this together.”