AMHERST - The North Amherst building that once housed Rooster's restaurant is expected to be demolished before the Amherst Survival Center moves to the site.
Cheryl Zoll, executive director of the center, said Ford Gillen Architects, which is in the process of finalizing designs for the new 6,000 square foot building, have determined that it would be impractical to reuse the two-story building.
"It would be more expensive for us to keep it up given its limitations," said Zoll, pointing out that just making the building handicapped accessible would be cost prohibitive.
The attached barn at the 138 Sunderland Road site is also expected to come down, but some of the wood and boards from the structure is expected to be incorporated into the plans for the new building.
"We are very excited about the way that they have been able to design an economical structure that will allow us to fulfill our mission more effectively and with greater dignity," Zoll said.
The new building will replace the 3,000 square feet the center uses in the basement of the former North Amherst school at 1200 North Pleasant St.
Groundbreaking for the new building is not expected until summer 2012, at the earliest, she said.
"We're trying to do it as quickly as we can because the need is so great," Zoll said.
Zoll observes that when she became the executive director four years ago, all people getting a daily meal were able to fit into the cafeteria at once. Now, so many people are present that the lunch is broken into two seatings. "It's a very tight space and demand is up," Zoll said.
Last year, the center served 11,000 hot lunches and 3,000 people, and distributed 118 tons of groceries from its food pantry. The center also offers its clients a free store and a free health clinic.
Fundraising is in what Zoll describes as a "quiet phase." The center is about halfway to the $1.8 million goal, though until Ford Gillen finalizes the plans, cost estimates are not precise.
Recently the center received $25,000 from the Amherst Rotary Club, which for the second consecutive year provided a large community grant to a local organization. The money will go toward funding the purchase of equipment for the kitchen and will be a matching grant.
"The Rotary's commitment to community service is well-known, so we're especially honored to have received their stamp of approval for our work," Zoll said.
Greg Boisseau, president of the Amherst Rotary Club, said at a recent presentation that the Rotary Kitchen within the Survival Center will be an important service for Amherst.
"This grant will enable the Survival Center to enhance the quality, capacity and feasibility to feed the hungry in our community," Boisseau said.
Last year, in the first year of the program, the community grant money went to the Crocker Farm School PGO, which used it to construct a new playground.