Montgomery reopens Crump Community Center after renovation, city leaders promise more neighborhood investments

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and city leaders opened the newly renovated Crump Community Center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility, calling the work a restoration of a neighborhood anchor and part of broader capital investment across the city.

The mayor said the turnout was the largest he had seen for a ribbon cutting in his five years in office and framed the reopening as a renewal: “We’re not just cutting a ribbon. We’re reopening a door that never should have been closed,” Mayor Steven Reed said. He described community centers as places “to learn new skills, stay out of trouble, find encouragement, and feel connected.”

City leaders said the Crump renovation is one element of a multi-site effort to restore community facilities. The mayor listed completed work and planned projects, saying the city invested “more than $2,500,000” in renovations at the Quem Community Center and that the city will open Fire Station 10 next month after a $19,000,000 investment. He also referenced upcoming ribbon cuttings at the Chisholm Community Center and future phases of community-center work.

City Council President Cece Calhoun also spoke at the ceremony and urged enthusiasm for the work. “We ought to be a little more excited than that. Good morning. Good morning,” Calhoun said, later thanking the city’s leadership and voters for supporting the bond funding that financed the projects.

Councilwoman Julie Beard, who represents District 2, thanked contractors and Parks and Recreation staff and encouraged District 2 residents to use the center’s new space and programs. “This is a great new space for us in District 2,” Councilwoman Julie Beard said. She noted the center closed soon after her first attendance at a Christmas celebration there, when she took office in February 2023, and that staff have since worked to reopen the facility.

An event host and Parks and Recreation Director Bridal Dean were named in introductory remarks as contributors to the project; the mayor also thanked construction and consulting partners listed at the ceremony, including Jacobs Consulting, B.D.W. Architects, AG Gaston Construction and C2 Technologies. Organizers invited representatives from Jacobs Consulting, AG Gaston and C2 Technologies to the stage before the ribbon cutting.

Officials described the renovated facility as available for programs and gatherings ranging from health and wellness classes to senior lunches and community events. City leaders framed the work as part of a voter-backed capital program and emphasized the aims of reinvestment in neighborhoods. No formal votes or policy actions were taken at the event.

The ribbon cutting concluded with an invitation for construction and consulting partners to join city leaders on stage; city officials said additional phases of community-center renovations will be announced in coming months.