Love Community Center Is Bringing Rush County, IN, Together

A busy day for a family in Rush County in East Central Indiana can include a trip to the library, a fitness center and a swimming pool. Working parents might need to drop off children at day care, while older residents participate in activities taking place at a senior center. Other residents might need assistance with social services such as a food pantry or prenatal/postnatal care. By the end of this year, all those possibilities and more will be available at one place: The new Love Community Center presented by Jay and Christie (Kile) Love will provide opportunities for all three.

“The goal is to have a one-stop shop for a lot of services and activities that take place within the community,” says John McCane, executive director for the Rush County Economic & Community Development Corp. “This is a facility that will bring various parts of the community together in one place.”

Love Community Center will house Rush County’s first public indoor pool.

The $20 million project began with a $5 million grant from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment philanthropic foundation to the Rush County Community Foundation (RCCF). Other funding is being generated through various naming rights agreements, including with Diamond Pet Foods and Rush Memorial Hospital. Weddle Bros. Design & Build LLC was brought on early in planning, which facilitated development of an optimized space while keeping an eye on the cost. Weddle’s 78-year history of constructing multiuse, public spaces helped make this project a reality.

“Being from Rush County, the Love Community Center is a special project to me,” says Weddle Bros. President Bruce Carter. “I’m excited for the opportunity to join with my family.”

A 50,000-square-foot former retail building in Rushville, IN, is being transformed into the primary part of the new center. Within that space will be the new Rushville Public Library (which will double in size from its current location), a day care center, the Rush County Community Assistance food pantry and offices for the Interlocal Community Action Program and other area services.

A classroom in the new Love Community Center in Rushville, IN.

The project will also include a 16,000-square-foot facility that will house a gymnasium and the county’s only public indoor pool. “This is going to be transformational,” RCCF Executive Director Chris May says. “It’s going to touch every age group and every demographic from every corner of our county. When you look at all the elements involved, they have all been on their own individual islands. Now they’ll be able to interact.”

That connectivity is one of the most important aspects of the Love Community Center, according to May. He says not only will it enable family members to take part in different activities at the same place, it also will benefit some residents who are using the social services. “The Love Community Center is going to be a destination for people already in our community, and it will help attract industry and employees to our community,” May adds. “This is the next growth step in making Rush County a great place where everybody wants to be.”