BLOOMINGTON Its been in development for six months, but the proposed Jefferson Street Community House will officially open Friday as a work in progress, said the director of resource development and community engagement for Mid Central Community Action.

A grand opening event for the joint project among the Bloomington Police Department, Community Action, and the West Bloomington Housing Collaborative is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, said Matthew Drat.

When we talk about it being a work in progress, we mean two things, he said. First, we still have to make the house ADA compliant. We have to finish the restroom and we will be installing a ramp. So, there is still work to be done. But more importantly, it is another step toward working with the neighborhood to improve the community as a whole and we think we have seen great strides in that during the last six months.

We are very happy that the house is open and it will serve and strengthen our community relations with people at a neighborhood level, said Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner. We will be there to hear issues and concerns and to focus on crime prevention by speaking to neighbors on a regular basis so the neighborhood kids can see us in an everyday, human light.

Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner said the house will serve the purpose for which city officials intended.

This will prove to be an exciting project and asset to the west side, Renner said. I think it will do really great things to improve our relationship between our police and the neighborhood. Its a form of community policing and everybody gets to know everybody.

To help alleviate those concerns, the Jefferson Street Community House Advisory Council was formed. The group included a number of neighbors who provided input on the project.

We learned a great deal from that and much more than just what the house should be for the community, Drat said. We learned from neighbors about their needs for transportation and health care and the everyday problems they face. There are individuals who live and work in the community and they need to have their voice heard and so already, through this project, I think we have accomplished that and will continue to hear those voices as we go forward.

While several neighbors originally opposed the project, others said they think the mood has changed since the project was originally announced.

I think some people jumped to some conclusions and thought it was going to be different than what it turns out it is going to be, said Millie McMillian, who lives in the 600 block of West Jefferson. There were worries that the police were going to be jailing people there, but from what I hear, its just going to be a place for community events and neighbors to interact with police officers.

Fridays event is open to the public and will have games, youth activities and food, Drat said.

Follow Kevin Barlow on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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Community House opening as 'work in progress' - Bloomington Pantagraph