The Meridian Housing Authority is in the final stages of phase one of the HOPE VI project. And the new Carousel Place Community Center on 44th Avenue means good news for the housing authority's pre-K program.

Once the center is complete by August, the pre-K program will move from Frank Berry Courts and that facility will become a parent resource center.

Housing authority community services director Cecil Johnson said this center will allow more space for their growing program, which continues to produce successful children.

"And we've had a number of our children that attend our program are doing progressively better in school, once they've had the opportunity to attend the pre-K program," Johnson said.

Meridian Public Schools superintendent Sylvia Autry said she values the eight year relationship between the school board and housing authority.

Autry said the Phil Hardin Foundation gave a $2,900 grant to go toward this pre-K initiative.

"But that money will be used to provide training for Head Start teachers and it will also provide supplies for their classrooms, and that's going to happen in September," Autry said.

Johnson says this center will have a lot in store for the community.

"And this building will be one that the residents can use as well as the area residents can use this building for their computer access, if they want to have meetings," said Johnson. "Again the pre-K building is here and we will have a room for entrepreneurs who want to use our building as a site."

Johnson says the newly constructed homes that surround the center should be available in August 2009. But he anticipates the center's completion by the end of this summer.