Latest addition almost complete

Once upon a time, it was Jack’s Dairy.
But over the past half a century, the modest building at 901 E. Water St., Portland, has grown and grown and grown.
It’s been growing again this fall, but the latest addition is likely to be the last.
“We have been told this is it,” said Ruth Ann Widman, executive director of Jay-Randolph Services.
“If we go any further, we’re going to have to sprinkle the whole building,” said Ken Frederickson, senior director of day services of JRDS.
The original building, which was a restaurant after it was a dairy bar, has been occupied by JRDS since 1966. But its original footprint today just accommodates the organization’s offices.
Programming — particularly for the 54 people who receive day services from JRDS — occupies most of the square footage. And as the demands on JRDS have evolved over the years, that space has often been cramped.
This latest and final addition to the building is aimed at serving the needs of JRDS clients for decades to come.
A total of 2,740 square feet have been added to the southeast corner of the building, and another large room has been re-modeled and re-purposed.
Most of the cost of the addition is being covered by a $440,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) which was awarded in 2010. A $50,000 match was required locally, and most of those funds have been raised. Another grant to cover the cost of new furnishings is still pending.
Widman explained that the new space includes several classrooms and training areas. Training for JRDS day services clients involves a 1-to-8 ratio of instructors to clients. Those classrooms will replace “temporary” classrooms with a much higher noise level.
The addition also includes a new kitchen that will be fully accessible for clients taking part in basic life skills training.There will also be a “warming kitchen” which will allow JRDS to contract with a meal provider. Currently clients bring snacks and lunch.
New fully-accessible restrooms will be provided, along with a changing area for clients who may need assistance.
In addition, there will be two “quiet rooms” where clients can go to escape stress that might lead to behavioral problems.
Work on the project, being done by Limberlost Construction of Geneva, is flying along. “It will be 120 days from start to finish,” said Widman.
The target date for completion is Dec. 9.
Widman credits Jay County Development Corporation’s community developer for moving the project along.
“Ami Huffman had a lot to do with this,” she said. “She has really taken this under her wing. … We got this (the OCRA grant) on the first try.”[[In-content Ad]]