GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Pitt County officials took part in a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the new Twin Community Centers.

The first groundbreaking happened at the Agricultural Center. The Pitt County Board of Commissioners approved a total of $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the community center last November.

The centers will provide a new sense of safety as it will also function as a storm shelter or safe place to gather in case of emergencies, especially in a community with frequent floods. Commissioner Mary Perkins-Williams said these centers bring her joy.

“It means love, it means excitement and happiness and gratitude for an area that feels lost and left out of the community,” Perkins-Williams said.

The next groundbreaking ceremony will be at Alice F. Keene District Park on Oct. 23 at 4 p.m.