WORDEN – Village of Worden Mayor Preston Hall welcomed State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) on Wednesday to tour the former Worden Elementary School, which could soon be home to a facility for Madison County residents to host civic events, family activities, and other outings.

Manar is working with the village to secure state grant funds to support Mayor Hall’s plan to repurpose the building as the Worden Community Center.

“As a former mayor of a small, rural town, I know they rarely have the resources to support projects like developing a community center from the ground up, meaning municipal leaders must find creative ways to develop and improve recreational amenities,” Manar said. “Worden is a small town doing big things thanks to Mayor Halls’ resourcefulness and relentless advocacy. The Worden Community Center will be a benefit to local families, youth and senior organizations, and the village for decades.”

“This Community Center project will not only preserve the memories of many Worden residents, but it will create new memories for many years to come,” Mayor Hall said. “The funds secured for this project will help bring life back to a building that was built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration in the center of our town. We are very thankful for the senator’s effort in securing these funds and for his understanding of the importance of helping small towns in his district that often get overlooked in favor of bigger towns.”

After Worden merged into the Edwardsville Public School District, the facility was acquired last year by the Village of Worden.