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The facility is a ‘one-stop shop’ for education, workforce development and community services
WSCC News is a presentation of West Shore Community College in partnership with Mason County Press and Oceana County Press.
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — West Shore Community College’s Oceana County Education Center opened its doors to the community during a grand opening Friday, Nov. 6.
MCP photo/WSCC President Scott Ward
Located in the former Gale’s IGA grocery store, the community center offers several services—one of which is a grocery store.
Lakeshore Food Club is a non-profit grocery store that offers food options for low income families. Qualifying members pay a low 30-day membership fee and select food using points based on household size. It is scheduled to open Dec. 1.
MCP photo/Hart City Manager Nichole Kleiner
Lakeshore Food Club is one of three anchor tenants, which also include West Shore Community College and Michigan Works West Central. Michigan Dyslexia Institute, the Mid Michigan Community Action Agency and Stella’s Coffee House are also located inside the building. Stella’s is slated for a mid-November opening.
There is room for more non-profit organizations to move into the new space, said WSCC Vice President of Administrative Services Mitchell Foster.
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The front part of the 25,000-square-foot building serves as an open gathering space with soft seating and computer desks for Michigan Works clients. The center also includes offices, group rooms, a computer classroom and conference space.
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There is a warming area for caterers on site for company conferences and training. The catering area, Lakeshore Food Club and Stella’s, which has a drive-through window, are located on the south end of the building.
Oceana County students taking classes at WSCC will be able to use the computer room to attend
MCP photo/Project Superintendent is Jerry Risch leads a tour of the new facility.
class during wintry weather instead of driving up to the main campus in Victory Township near Scottville. Local companies will be able to rent the computer room for computer-based training.
Almost 20 percent of WSCC students are Oceana County residents, said WSCC President Scott Ward. “Regardless of where our students come from, the major challenges are food, housing and transportation of our students. Bringing these resources together, I think it uplifts the whole community. The better Oceana County does, the better all of us do in our region. I’m so proud to help Oceana County—I think we will all benefit from it.
MCP photo/Ginna Holmes, executive director of the Michigan Service Commission and Labor and Economic Opportunity
“It’s all built on collaboration. The college could not sustain this facility on our own. But bringing partners together makes a building feasible like this. There is a quote from Hellen Keller, ‘Alone we do so little; together we do so much,’ and I really think this is the premise of this building.”
The $6.5 million project was funded through a $1 million community center grant from the State of Michigan; $1.9 million from Michigan Community Capital and PNC Bank through a new market tax
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credit; a $400,000 grant from Michigan Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP); and $150,000 from the Hart Downtown Development Authority. The college contributed approximately $3.5 million in reserve capital to complete the funding, said Foster.
“A big part of why we got some additional funding sources is because of Lakeshore Food Club,” said
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Foster. “Adding food access to a community like Oceana County is a big deal as groceries continue to get more expensive.”
Since 2019, the college has opened three off-campus locations—the Riemer Regional Public Safety Training Center in Free Soil, the Manistee Downtown Education Center and now the Oceana County Education Center.
“With the resounding success of the model proven in our downtown Manistee education center, this
MCP photo/Michigan Community Capital Vice President of Lending Liz Alexandrian
project brings education, workforce development, and community services together in a community-focused space,” said Ward.
A workforce development study, in which the college was involved, performed a few years ago by the Oceana County Economic Alliance and identified the need for more workforce training, which was a catalyst that sparked further interest.
MCP photo/WSCC Executive Director of College Relations
The Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity grant for $1 million awarded for the project really got the ball rolling. The grant push was led by former Vicki Platt, who was Hart’s mayor at the time, and Nichole Kleiner, who is now Hart city manager, but was the HEART (Hart Economic and Redevelopment Team) director at the time. Shortly after that, Foster was hired by the college and put in charge of the project.
A total of $60 million was on the table for community centers by the State of Michigan, said Foster. “There were 1,000 initial requests that came in totaling over $1 billion. The state awarded funding to 99 projects. The fact that the college received $1 million speaks to the support and impact of this project.”
“Throughout this project, it has been demonstrated that the center is not merely just a physical space, but instead it is a manifestation of resilience and shared aspirations,” said Ginna Holmes, executive director of the Michigan Service Commission and Labor and Economic Opportunity. “It bridges gaps and creates opportunities. It fosters a sense of belonging. It blends education, workforce development and access to healthy food throughout the year, and it brings various services together at a one-stop shop for providing support.”
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“For years, this former grocery store sat vacant,” said Hart City Manager Nichole Kleiner. “Many people here remember when it was part of their everyday lives—a place to work, shop, and run into someone they knew. Today, we celebrate giving it a new purpose. Getting here took people willing to see what this building could become, and then do the work to make it happen.
“Higher education and workforce training, closer to home. Community organizations like Michigan Works working alongside each other, making services and resources easier to access. We’re especially thrilled that this campus includes Stella’s Coffee House, giving a local business the opportunity to open a second location, and Lakeshore Food Club, bringing access to fresh, healthy food with the dignity of choosing what works for your own family,” the city manager said.
MCP photo/Stella’s Coffee House served up tasty cinnamon rolls and coffee.
“There’s something especially meaningful about seeing a former grocery store once again help feed this community. For our residents, having all of this here means fewer barriers and more possibilities. It means education can fit more easily around work and family. It means support is close when it’s needed.”
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MCP photo/Attendees tour the Lakeshore Food Club space.
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