Tour The New United Way Facility In Lorain

LORAIN, OH — The new United Way Center for Community Transformation will be open to the public for tours on Sept. 7. The event is free and open to all. The new facility will offer fitness classes, a large event space, a Volunteer Connection Hub, and more.

The event will begin at 3 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The open house will then run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The facility is located at 642 Broadway Ave in downtown Lorain. Light refreshments will be available during the open house.

The United Way of Greater Lorain County is celebrating 100 years of existence in 2017. The opening of the Center for Community Transformation is a happy coincidence for the organization, which traces its roots back to the Elyria War Chest. The organization eventually combined with six other charities to form the United Way of Greater Lorain County. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Avon-Avon Lake newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

“Our new office builds on our founder’s vision by making us more accessible and visible, by saving us money and making us more stable, and by giving us an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of Broadway Avenue,” said United Way of Greater Lorain County executive director Bill Harper in a statement. “We have a lot of pride in the new office and we can’t wait to show it off so everybody can see how they can utilize the public spaces.”

United Way is specifically asking former employees, volunteers, donors, campaign representatives and board members to come check out the new site.

“We’re making a special appeal to those who have been involved with United Way in the past or those who remember their parents or grandparents being involved, because none of our work over the past 100 years would have been possible without the tremendous support we have received from our community,” said Harper. “The celebration isn’t just about our new office and looking ahead at what we can now accomplish, it’s about paying tribute to all those who have paved the way as part of our legacy.”

The Center for Community Transformation takes the place of the old Tivoli Theater, which operated as the Pantheon Theater from 1920 until 1930, when its name was changed to Tivoli. The theater closed in 1977 and was vacant until 1987. It was demolished shortly thereafter.

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