Project seeking community hub in Benton nears fundraising goal

A long-planned project in Benton, which community leaders are calling the town’s future hub, is nearing its fundraising goal. Michelle Savatski, co-chair of the Benton Library, Museum and Community Center project committee, said donations totaling about $200,000 are still needed for the approximately $2.4 million dollar project. An anonymous donor offered a matching donation if the community raises $100,000. The 6,200-square-foot building will include a gathering space, a library space larger than the current one, as well as for museum artifacts to be interspersed throughout the building and available for free viewing. The project was delayed almost two years from the original 2023 construction date, largely due to an unexpectedly lengthy process with acquiring a $785,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development loan and a state grant opportunity falling through. Construction now is slated to begin in the spring of 2025 and be completed in the summer of 2026.