Renovations begin to give Drexel's R.O. Huffman Center a fresh start

Built in the mid-1950s, the R.O. Huffman Center has long been a gathering place for Drexel community members to watch games and host community events. Now, it’s set for upgrades that will offer a higher-quality space for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

Drexel native and architect David Harmon designed the project, and Ridgeline Building Corporation began construction last week. The aging bathrooms—some with unusable fixtures—will be fully renovated, a project Town Manager Bill Carroll said the town has long been eager to launch. The upgrades will also bring the facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The feasibility study, which Harmon conducted late last year, revealed that the facility’s accessibility was in failing condition.

“Half of the restrooms didn’t work – they were boarded up,” Carroll said. “It just wasn’t a very pleasant place to be, so we’re trying to resolve that.”

Despite the need for major upgrades, Harmon and the board agreed that the facility is worth saving and investing in. The board voted to approve the project in December 2024.

Another phase of the project—the banquet hall renovation—will improve the room’s acoustics, apply fresh paint, repair roof leaks, and replace outdated electrical outlets. The adjoining hallway will be removed, increasing the banquet hall’s square footage by more than 30%.

Carroll said the town has used the banquet hall for board of aldermen meetings and candidate forums when necessary, but it has never been an ideal venue. “If you stood at the front, you could hear everything the person was whispering in the back,” Harmon said. Yet Carroll said, “But if you’re right next to them and they’re yelling, you can’t hear them.”

Funding for the project includes $75,000 of grant money that Grow With Drexel received from the Rostan Foundation and the Maxine McCall Fund.

So far, crews have torn the interior wall down separating the hallway and the banquet hall room and knocked a hole in the gymnasium wall for a new entrance that will provide easier access to the restrooms. Demolition in the toilet areas of the bathrooms has also been completed. Harmon said carpet will be added in the lobby, along with a coat of fresh paint, creating a more inviting entrance.

Separate from the renovation project, Carroll noted that nine new computers have recently been added to the facility’s computer lab. They are available for use, but minors must have parental consent. To use, Carroll said the person or parent just has to ask a staff member at the center. There are a set of rules to follow and the area is monitored by security cameras.

Changes could also be coming to the outside of the center. Harmon said the goal is to eventually add parking in the front of the building, along with an ADA ramp to make the lobby more accessible. Currently, all parking is in the back of the building. He said he also hopes the renovations will allow the facility to host more classes and allow people to host meal fundraisers, utilizing the kitchen.

“I think the board has become very energetic about this being a prime piece of property for the [town], a keypoint, something worth investing into and becoming proud of,” Harmon said, noting that the facility has a long-standing history in Drexel.

Carroll noted that while residents are often eager for new facilities, the town’s priority is to first maintain and enhance its existing ones.

“We’ve got this great facility with lots of potential, but we’ve got to invest in it and get it to a state where it’s functional and something to be proud of,” Carroll said.

Harmon said many areas in Drexel with potential have been put on the back burner. He said that the current board and many residents are eager to bring life back to the town of Drexel with a facility that the town already owns.

Ownership is important, Carroll said, because it allows the board to make quick decisions about how the property is used—unlike in some towns where facilities are owned by the county, nonprofits, or private entities.

Harmon said he hopes to have the project done by Drexel’s Mega-reunion on Oct. 4; however, he said that’s an ambitious timeline. It depends on various factors such as lead times and county inspections.