With the snip of a red ribbon, the Gilmor Homes Community Center in Sandtown-Winchester was officially opened Tuesday.
Youth scurried into the building past Ella Broadway, the Housing Authority of Baltimore Resident Advisory Board president, as a drumline and dance group celebrated the opening in a nearby courtyard.
The center was closed for at least 15 years, said Paul Graziano, executive director of the housing authority. A $500,000 grant from the state's Community Legacy Program and $750,000 from the Housing Authority made the re-opening possible, Graziano said.
Inside the facility, at 1515 Vincent Court, blue-trimmed offices will house community developers and meeting rooms will host summer programming.
Rick Leandry will run the center's programming. His goal is to change the world one child at a time, he said.
"There's a lot of work needed in this neighborhood," Leandry said. "But there are so many kids here that can be diamonds."
The community center will host a summer camp for the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore, as well as a mentoring program with Together Everyone Achieves More, job readiness training and GED classes.
Broadway praised the many partnerships between local, city and state organizations. The grand opening is the first of more to come, she said.
"You don't know how many years we have heard Gilmor needed a community center," Broadway said. "It's here … We're going to move on. Gilmor is just the start. There are going to be more community centers."