Abbeville looking into acquisition of St. Theresa Community Center

Abbeville could potentially have a community center located near the heart of the city.
And it wouldn’t even have to be built from the ground up.
During Tuesday’s regular Abbeville City Council meeting, Mayor Roslyn White discussed the possibility of the city acquiring the St. Theresa Community Center on Leonard Avenue near Charity Street. The Abbeville City Council passed a resolution Tuesday to give White the authority to look into the possible center acquisition.
“I was initially contacted to see if the city would have any use for, or interest in, the building,” White said after the meeting. “It is my understanding the church has considered selling the building but would like to see the building utilized in a way that continues to serve the community.”
White said during the meeting that the facility could serve a long-sought-after purpose. The mayor presented the item to the council proposing the opportunity to provide a dedicated indoor recreation facility for sports such as basketball, volleyball and pickleball within the city limits.
“Currently, most biddy basketball games are played outside of the city around the parish, including as far away as Henry,” White said. “Many children in our community do not have transportation to get to these facilities.”
White also cited growing interest in pickleball and indoor volleyball.
Roderick Darby, part of Vermilion Reach Group, attended Tuesday’s meeting. He enthusiastically supported the idea of the city obtaining the center, even offering to help raise money.
“Buy it,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
Darby said after the meeting that such an action would greatly benefit the Abbeville community.
“For a very long time, I’ve always seen how other communities have a rec center that benefited their community,” Darby said. “We always speak about not having things as such in our community. Now we have a great opportunity to prove we are making permanent changes to improve the quality of life in our community.”
White said the location of the center is a plus. Darby agreed.
“The facility’s location is between the north and south part of the city,” Darby said. “Our kids can walk safely to and from the rec center. The possibilities are limitless for our city, and we must capitalize on every opportunity given to improve the image and quality of life in our community.”