Tear it out and start anew

"The clinical term would probably be cathartic. To those charged with demolishing the inside of the future Marge Williams Center Friday morning, one could probably get by with something less stuffy - perhaps fun.This is pretty cool, said Ty Evans, catching a breather next to an overflowing dumpster in the building's driveway. It's a great way to release stress on a Friday afternoon.Evans was one of a 15-person work crew, mostly comprised of Windermere Real Estate employees volunteering for community service, who got the Williams Center project under way at long last. Power tools roared inside, sledge hammers swung, dust flew, and pile after pile of debris was carted out the front door or sailed down from the second-story balcony. The material easily filled a 30-cubic-yard garbage tote donated by Bainbridge Disposal.Others went to work on a garden area in front of the Winslow Way building, tearing out old weeds and turning over the earth for new plantings. Renovation of the building, purchased from the estate of slain community leader Marge Williams, will create a center for local non-profit organizations.Approximately $400,000 has been raised, toward a goal of $420,000. First tenants will be the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, the Health, Housing and Human Services Council, and three other service groups.The center will also serve as a clearinghouse for countless other non-profits.What's next?Crews from Drury Construction will replace the building's roof and begin work on the facade. New windows and doors will be installed, to give the building a weather-tight shell as interior work continues into the rainy months.The office spaces will be repartitioned, to set up offices for the tenants and a central conference area for others.More volunteers and construction materials are needed.Down said a list will be posted in the front window, to keep islanders apprised of need and opportunity.My phone's been off the hook, Down said. People are really behind this. "

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