Centering on the Community
The new Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara Township offers innovative programming and a
revitalization of the facilities to provide a friendly community gathering place for all ages.
BY NICOLE TAFE
“To enrich lives and strengthen the community by providing a welcoming place for community engagement.”
T
his mission statement for the new Lauri Ann West Community
Center in O’Hara Township strives to reach out to people of all
ages and welcome them to the newly opened facility.
The Lauri Ann West Community Center is operated by the
Community Center Association, a nonprofit 501c3 organization.
The facility opened to the public in mid-December 2015 and aims to
deliver dynamic high-quality cultural, educational and recreational
classes as well as camps, workshops and memorable special events to
the community and surrounding areas. With the opening of the new
facility, the community center is also able to provide a best-in-class
fitness center and elevated fitness track to its members.
Overall, the friendly atmosphere, innovative programming and
revitalization of the facilities provide an inviting community gathering
place for all ages.
The center is located within an 11-acre park in O’Hara Township,
and the land has been in perpetual use for the growth of the
community for the past 175 years. “We are thrilled that the new Lauri
Ann West Community Center continues the tradition of utilizing
this land to serve the community,” says Marketing and Development
Director Monica Gay.
The community center itself was founded in 1982 by a group of
dedicated citizens who sought to keep the former Boyd Elementary
School open as a community resource. Their goal was to serve the
six municipalities that comprise the Fox Chapel Area School District
— Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Indiana Township, O’Hara
Township and Sharpsburg — as well as the surrounding areas by
providing membership, camps and programs to a customer base that
58 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Fox Chapel Area
includes more than 2,200 families. Along with the six municipalities,
27 percent of participants come from surrounding areas including
the East End, Oakland, North Side, Cheswick, Glenshaw, Natrona
Heights, Brushton, Arnold, Allison Park and several others.
Executive Director Paul McComb heads a staff of seven full-time
and more than a dozen part-time employees. A former director of the
PNC YMCA in Market Square, McComb has had ample experience
running a multi-faceted community center that offers both arts and
culture programming and fitness center membership.
Membership and program revenue are the two largest sources of
general operating funds for the Lauri Ann West Community Center.
Additional funding comes from private donations and fundraising
events. The Capital Campaign that supported the building of the new
center totaled $9 million. More than $6 million for the project was
donated from private individuals, organizations, corporations and
trusts. In fact, more than 250 donations were received from private
donors who gave $500 or more toward the capital campaign. More
community members became involved with drives and receptions
that helped to raise additional funds, making it a true community
effort. O’Hara Township also assisted with the campaign, committing
a $2 million grant and providing a $1 million loan to ensure the
completion of the project.
The Lauri Ann West Community Center has a full-service fitness
facility with cardio and weight training equipment, including the
Precor 885 Cardio Equipment Series featuring treadmills, adaptive
motion trainers, elliptical machines and recumbent/upright bikes.
For weight training, the facility offers the Precor Vitality Strength