Northeastern Center staff and community leaders gathered Friday to formally break ground for the center’s new Promise House residential home and a new centralized maintenance building. From left are Joe Dowdle of GEA Architects of Muncie, Steve Howell of the Northeaster Center, Becky Calhoun of Drug Free Noble County and incoming president of the Northeastern Center board, Eva Merkel, Lakeland School Corporation superintendent and outgoing president of the Northeastern Center board, Susan Kamara of the Northeastern Center, R. Ron Green of Northeastern Center Maintenance, Jacob Kern of Northeaster Center Residential, Kendallville Mayor Suzanne Handshoe, Bob Goins of CPM Construction, Kendallville council member Jim Dazey, Dottie Fuentes of the Northeastern Center and Lisa Wolf of the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce.
Sheryl Prentice
KENDALLVILLE — The Northeastern Center formally broke ground Friday for its new residential building, Promise Home, and new maintenance building at 1905 Dowling St.
Ground preparation work is already underway at the site, but staff and community leaders donned hardhats and took golden shovels in hand for the ceremony, made brief by frozen ground, blustery wind and the 26-degree temperature.
Michael Steigmeyer, marketing services director for the Northeastern Center, said Promise House will be a 4,017-square-foot facility with eight beds for short-term care, promoting wellness and recovery for adults. Promise House will replace a residential facility in DeKalb County.
The new maintenance building near Promise House will be 6,382 square feet and the central hub for all of the center’s maintenance and transportation services for Noble, DeKalb, LaGrange and Steuben counties. The center currently employs eight staff members for maintenance.
Northeastern Center’s workforce is more than 250 to provide outpatient, inpatient and residential services to residents in the four counties since 1977.
