A fresh start
After years of serving as the backdrop for weddings, dances and family gatherings, the Mercer Community Center now sits empty, its doors closed following the discovery of widespread mold that experts said made the building unsafe to use. But even as residents grapple with the loss of one of the town’s few gathering spaces, a group of volunteers is working to turn the setback into an opportunity, and they’re asking the community to help shape what comes next.
Mercer Auditor Kathrin Volechenko said the mood around town is more hopeful than some might expect.
“People are pretty excited about it,” she said. “The old building can’t be used because of health code issues. After the alumni took a hard look at the numbers, renovating just wasn’t worth the cost. A fresh start made more sense.”
A September 2024 assessment by Badlands Environmental Consultants found mold throughout the structure, resulting from long-term moisture issues that can’t be resolved by surface cleaning. Mold grows when water gets into places it shouldn’t, behind walls, under flooring or through structural leaks. Once it spreads through porous materials like drywall and insulation, those materials must be removed entirely. For older buildings, the cost of demolition, remediation and reconstruction often exceeds the value of the building itself.