The Mary L. Kelly Community Center opened three months ago in the once vacant Graceland Elementary School at 2803 E. 51st St. The center was made possible by a donation from Joe and Jeanne Brandmeyer. They named the facility after Mary L. Kelly, a long-time resident and former president of Town Fork Creek Neighborhood (TFC).
The building is now home to Blue Hills Neighborhood Association, TFC, and the Upper Room. What started off as a summer reading program 14 years ago, the Upper Room slowly expanded from serving 90 kids to an organization that now serves more than 3,000 children at 28 separate facilities.
The Community Center includes a computer lab, a GED program, a cafe, a conference room, a regulation size gym, fitness room, state-of-the-art dance studio and The Charlie Parker Jazz Foundation dedicated to the history of jazz in Kansas City. Membership to the center is earned through a “time bank.” Members give a certain amount of their time to assist with programming and maintenance of the facility in exchange for use of the amenities. This eliminates the need for a currency-based membership payment system. Congratulations to the Mary L. Kelly Community Center for helping to make Southtown sparkle