The shovels struck the dirt at the site where the English Center Community Association will start on an empty lot to replace its older community building with a new one to be built by Lance Aldinger, the selected contractor.

The ceremony in the sunshine at 11293 Little Pine Creek Road in the village in Pine Township was hosted by association members, some of whom brought cookies and pieces of stone memorabilia. It was important for this village that relies on outdoor recreation and tourism to see the historic span across Little Pine Creek.

It was an occasion that brought out state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, serving the 84th District, his liaison Erik Houser; Lycoming County Commissioner Scott Metzger, a congratulatory mention from Commissioner Mark Mussina and support by Commissioner Marc Sortman, county planning officials and state Department of Transportation officials with the right of way division along with utility personnel.

The construction timeline of about two years coincides with the separate plan of PennDOT to restore the suspension bridge spanning the creek used by anglers and kayakers and just a few miles north of Little Pine Creek State Park, where eagles can be viewed in their nests and camping and dining can be found at Happy Acres.

A temporary bridge is under construction as is a new community center for the village of English Center, both of which will be completed in 2026 recently. The new community center will host a number of events including being the official voting location. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

At the building’s groundbreaking, the association, through Al Houser, its treasurer, extended its deepest gratitude for the professional assistance and guidance provided by all involved as its members navigated their way through the process over the last two years to get to the shovel-ready site.

Asked about the connection between the suspension bridge project, and the community building, Houser had the answer.

“They are linked to the extent that PennDOT needed our property for staging,” he said.

Unfortunately, back in the early 1900s, the old church building, which was used as a community building, was built on top of the foundation of the bridge, he said.

There was no way to actually physically move that building engineering wise without it falling into pieces, so it had to be demolished.

Residents and English Center residents celebrate the ground breaking on the new community center which will be completed in 2026 recently. The new community center will host a number of events including being the official voting location. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The view from the site to the bridge, which is a 270-plus- foot span over the creek, evokes immediate inspiration. It was a bridge and road constructed when lumber was transported to Williamsport for the many mills that manufactured furniture and provided building products.

The bridge was built in 1891. It has a single span and is only 15 feet wide. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The ECCA building plans, which were on display beneath a tent at the groundbreaking, indicated the facility will be 1,200 square feet of usable space inside with an outside porch area of an additional 400 square feet.

The building will be constructed of materials that include the wood frame, built to uniform construction code and ordinance. Interestingly, it will serve not only for the association meetings, but as an election polling station and emergency management center, in the event of floods, storms and other disasters.

“We are right along a stocked trout stream,” Houser said. This is a big recreational area and the plan is to open up the building for youth programs, he added.

And while the plan is to have a sturdy structure that is weather-tight by the fall, the two-year process to navigate through all of the challenges was highlighted during the groundbreaking.

“I learned a valuable lesson along the way,” Houser said. “First listen and then do as instructed and then everything usually ends up in the right place at the end.”

He lauded the effort of PennDOT and Sara Sherwood and the right of way team.

He noted the role that Mark Haas, David Hubbard, Chris Hodges and Heather George had from the county planning and community development team.

He appreciated the design work done by Anthony Visco Architects, including Anthony Visco and his associate Rebecca M. Newburg.

The architectural firm designed the building keeping in mind the ordinance for public polling places, a building that when finished will be fully ready and serviceable as a future polling place for Lycoming County and Pine Township, he said. He thanked the communications between the association and Forrest Lehman, county director of elections and he noted the pre-work done by Tri County Rural Electric Cooperative and their employees Randy Owens and Steve Salada and he pointed out Erb Inspections for their review and granting of the building permit and continued effort to provide inspection for the building as it is constructed.

The timeline was also part of the overall story.

ECCA made contact with PennDOT in late 2020. The property was vitally needed for the construction and restoration of the historic suspension bridge. The bridge will have 50 percent of its original structural materials maintained to preserve its status on the National Register of Historic Bridges, Houser said.

The PennDOT right of way team made several visits to explain the process and what is called Bulletin 47, a relocation process explained by the department when property is needed in a transportation project. Once the settlement was arrived at, the adjacent property went up for sale and became available. The county then entered into the process for lot consolidation and land development plan purposes. The final land development plan was prepared by Vassallo Engineering, and was submitted for approval in March last year.

The building design and drawings were then done by Visco and his team and a contractor was selected, a local skilled professional Lance Aldinger.

What is known as Phase I and II will include the foundation, slabbing, structural frame, roof trusses and making it weathertight by October-November timeframe.

The continued work on the building will continue through 2025 and the opening is expected to coincide and run parallel to the bridge project with an expected opening in late 2025 or early 2026, Houser said.

A commemorative shovel was signed at the groundbreaking by officials who attended and took part in this monumental happening for the village and Pine Township community.

Before he ended his remarks, Houser said a moto on the documents provided by the county commissioners struck him.

“It is always the right time to do the right thing,” the motto states.