What's that going to be ... over by MARC?
It will be a new MARC building, named after one of Midlands philanthropic families. MARCs new 16,000-square-foot MARC Program Services Building, which is planned to be the hub of MARCs daily operations, includes space to offer services with privacy and dignity, according to a statement from the nonprofit. The building also will have safety features, offer efficiency uses of storage and technology upgrades and provide additional office and storage space that should take MARC into the next 60 years. MARC announced in 2019 that it recognized Javaid Anwar and his familys commitment to Midland by naming the MARC Program Services Building the Anwar Family Inspiration Center. As MARC embarked in November 2018 on a campaign to raise $7 million to build the program service building, park and day use building, the Anwar family led the campaign with the first gift of $1 million. Move forward to June and the playground equipment has been removed and the ground cleared at the old Opportunity Park on Ventura Drive as crews ready the land for the Center. It is set to open the summer of 2022. MARCs current building was built in 1959 and has grown from serving about 30 individuals to now serving more than 250 people in the community who are diagnosed with development disability.