Construction of the new Daisetta Community Center is steadily progressing, but the grand opening has been postponed from August to November 2025. The $3.3 million project experienced delays due to a hold-up in the arrival of the building’s staircase.
The entire project is being funded through a 100 percent grant from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). While the center has not yet opened, it is already generating conversation in the community.
“Half the people are so excited and cannot wait for it to open,” said Daisetta Councilwoman Cindy Burchfield, who spearheaded the grant application. “The other half doesn’t seem to understand that it was funded with a 100 percent grant. They are complaining that we didn’t use the money for a water well or for stray dogs, but the money was specifically for this purpose.”
The new facility, which spans 11,000 square feet, is designed to serve a wide variety of community needs. It will include a computer lab, bathrooms with showers, a washer and dryer, and a full-service kitchen. It is expected to host everything from the annual Mayhaw Festival to private parties and educational programs.
Burchfield is especially optimistic about the center’s potential to serve as an educational hub.
“I am already starting to reach out to all the people who have promised to partner with us,” she said. “We will be signing contracts soon with those who have promised to bring classes and meetings to the facility, and those who will be handling the food distribution.”
A permanent food distribution center will be housed inside the facility to help address hunger in the area. According to Burchfield, this feature was an important consideration in the grant approval process, as Daisetta is a community made up largely of low- to median-income households.
The Daisetta Community Center was designed by Labiche Architectural Group and engineered by Fitz and Shipman Engineering, both based in Beaumont. Construction is being handled by G&G Enterprises, also out of Beaumont.