LCRA awards $35,371 grant to restore Mullin Community Center
New paint, foundation repairs and a refurbished interior will help showcase local history
Nov. 2, 2022
The $35,371 Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $17,365 in matching funds from the city, will help Mullin repair the center’s foundation and sidewalk, clean up and remove debris, and repaint both the interior and exterior of the building.
“The building was built back in 1906 and served as a bank until the late 1930s,” said Dexter Morris, Mullin city manager. “It began being used as a community gathering place in the 1960s. It’s a big stone building that has weathered and aged, and we are planning to refurbish and revitalize it so it can be used for many years to come.”
The Mullin Community Center has hosted reunions, family gatherings, voting, fundraisers and numerous other activities. The building houses historic photos of early Mills County development, and the city plans to add to the historical narrative of the Mills County area to help provide future generations a full picture of the area’s history.
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said an updated community center can make a big difference for Mullin, which has a population of less than 200, as the center enables the city to hold events that can spur economic growth and highlight the area’s rich history.
“Community members in Mullin are investing in their town, and that investment will pay dividends for a long time,” Wilson said. “Places like the Mullin Community Center provide a space where people can gather to celebrate, learn or just enjoy each other’s company. Restoring this building will lead to even more events taking place in a safe, welcoming location.”
Wilson said LCRA is honored to take part in the restoration.
“A community center is more than a building,” Wilson said. “It can bring people together and help welcome newcomers and strengthen community ties.”
Morris said restoring the community center is a great step forward in helping keep Mullin a vibrant place to live.
“Mullin is a neat place that deserves the best, and improving this building is one way to make that happen,” Morris said. “You need a place where people can get together and see the history of our unique town, and the community center is that place.”
The community grant is one of 46 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.
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