Demolition continues

The site for the apartment community is now completely cleared, and demolition is beginning on the site for the daycare playground.  

Parking lot demo

One of the earliest hopes of this project was to find a way to retain the playground for the Presbyterian Child Development Center located in the basement of First Presbyterian Church.  PCDC has been using a playground located on the Central School Property; the site for the Harless Center at Central Place apartment community. The playground site has been relocated to a parking lot on First Presbyterian Church property.  The developers are demolishing the parking lot, preparing the ground, and will fence the area to make it ready for surfacing and new playground equipment.   This will allow for a new and better located playground for the center right next to their entrance and exit.  Donations will cover the cost of installing the surfacing and equipment for the playground.  

You are invited to join us at the Groundbreaking and Dedication on Sunday, September 29, at 1 pm on Forest Avenue next door to First Presbyterian Church read more about our project at:  HarlessCenter.org.

Hopes for Harless Center

The college experience has many different levels.  While it's true most incoming freshman have been a student for at least 12 years, the world of being a college "student"  is quite different from that of a high school "student" with many layers of the college experience to adjust to like living away from home, managing time, and meeting people.

Living away from home is one of the best aspects of the college experience.  Many students look forward to moving to a new city and becoming a college student and learning about independence at the same time-- just learning to do your own laundry can be overwhelming for many.  Learning time management at the same time you're learning the importance of going to class can be a challenge. Learning every day! 

The residence hall is an instant community with opportunities to meet new people.  For some students the first year is more focused on the social world of college not the academic world. Very quickly students feel pressure to make a decision about where to live during their sophomore year......maybe before they have 'settled in' and have a good balance between academics and the social world of college.

Students have many choices to answer the question of "Where to live" their sophomore year since WVU only requires students to live on campus in residence halls for one year.  Harless Center at Central Place is an option I hope many will consider.  The community at Harless Center will be academic, spiritual, independent, and fun.  I believe it will provide a perfect mix for the college sophomore to thrive at WVU.  Our downtown location can eliminate the need to have a car, which can be a major HASSLE in Morgantown.  Apartment style living will help the transition towards independent living.  The community of WVU students making serious academic progress and encouraging each other is a wonderful aspect of the community.  The community of WVU students challenging each other spiritually will enhance the experiences of meeting new people.

Imagine the possibilities.......

Ellen Trovato
Board of Directors, Harless Center

Demolition has begun

Late last week and over the weekend, crews began to demolish the Central School the first step in seeing Harless Center at Central Place constructed.  It is an exciting milestone in the life of this project--to see work begin on the site and  our vision start to slowly take shape.

As we celebrate this milestone, we lift up our prayers for those working on the site today operating the machinery, loading the rubble, overseeing the work, and removing debris from the site.  We give our gratitude for the hard work they are doing to bring this project to fruition.

Code of Social Responsibility

An important aspect of the residential life and programming in Harless Center at Central Place will be the Code of Social Responsibility.  Residents will be expected to sign this when they choose to live in the community. You can view it here.