MARYSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Work has finally begun to rebuild the historic community center in Marysville, Indiana that was heavily damaged in the March 2 tornado.
Some say restoring the building will help restore hope to a town that was nearly wiped out.
The building has been at the center of life here in Marysville since the late 30s, first as a school and later as a community center.
It suffered more than $100,000 dollars worth of damage in the March 2 tornado.
Now, architects are inspecting the building, coming up with a plan to restore it.
"We want to get it secure from the weather, so the roof has to be replaced, has to have some masonry done, some things like that so it won't be damaged beyond repair," said Carolyn King, executive director of March 2 Recovery.
To the residents of Marysville, this is more than just a building. It's a link to their history as a busy railroad town and a symbol of community.
"Family reunions and picnics and just about anything you can think of. Birthdays, anything that came up the pike, that's what they used it for," said township trustee William Bussey.
But the restoration process has been slow; a merry-go-round of red tape and regulations. Not just for this building, but for the entire town.
Some homes have barely been touched since March 2, but some are nearly complete.
The Tucker family will return to this home next week; rebuilt for free by church volunteers from northern Indiana.
"They're a retired couple, and they're pretty anxious to get back in their home, and I don't blame them. They've been living with their daughter, and they want to get back home," said volunteer home builder Randy Barkley.
Still, Marysville has lost nearly a quarter of it's population since the storm, and folks here believe the rebuilding of the community center will help restore a sense of hope.
"The hope is to restore it even more than what it was before," said Bussey.
"It is symbolic of the whole history of the community," said King.
Right now, the plan is to reopen this building sometime this fall. No doubt, there will be a big celebration.
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