Mike Wolanin | The Republic An an exterior view of the 50th home built by BCSC C4 Columbus Area Career Connections program in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Sep. 1, 2023.
In the early 1970s, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. officials came up with an idea for how to give their building trades students more real-life experience.
A half-century later, the program is going strong, with city and community leaders holding a ribbon cutting ceremony this month for a new home on Ninth Street, built by Barcon Vocational Builders, Inc.
According to Indiana’s business database, Barcon was created on June 8, 1973.
“It’s a not-for-profit organization that allowed us to build structures, homes in the community to teach construction trades,” said BCSC C4 Director Gene Hack, who was previously a teacher in the building trades program.
The Ninth Street home is the 42nd house that C4 building trades students have worked on, he said. They also worked on Columbus North High School’s baseball fields at Southside Elementary.
According to a program for the ribbon cutting, “Students help the mason lay out and square the building, distribute the materials, and keep the area clean. Students complete the framing, roofing, siding, rough-in electrical, rough-in HVAC system, hang drywall, install doors and windows, primer and paint walls and trim, hang exterior siding, fascia, and all trim, form concrete porches, hang cabinets, install vinyl plank flooring, finish electrical, and install the exterior ramp.”
Students began work on the most recent house in the fall of 2022 and finished this past summer, Hack said.
According to the event program, the 1,500-square-foot home sold for $190,000, with the deal closing on Aug. 30.
The Ninth Street home is the fourth house in the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Homebuyer program, said Southern Indiana Housing and Community Development Corp. Executive Director Eric Frey.
The SIHCDC acts as the developer for the homebuyer program, which is a collaborative effort between several partners. C4 handles construction of housing that is both affordable and of good quality. The Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center (LCNFC), in conjunction with other partners, provides resources to prospective buyers as they go through the application and homebuying process.
According to the event program, buyers must have a household income below 80% of the local median income and complete the Homebuyer Counseling Education class. The LCNFC identifies potential homebuyers and also facilitates the class.
“It’s more than just a house,” said Randy Allman, LCNFC executive director. “It’s more than just these walls and ceiling. It’s about changing lives and giving people hope for a better tomorrow.”
It was also announced during the event ceremony that some of the program partners will provide the Ninth Street homeowner with a washer and dryer and a shed.
“This doesn’t happen without great partners, and we have had amazing partners to make this happen,” Frey said.
Hack said he’s grateful for the leaders before him who had the foresight to create Barcon and persevered amid economic ups and downs.
When asked what the program provides for students, he said that it gives them a taste of a field they might be interested in, skill-building opportunities, and a sense of accomplishment.
“They’ll drive by this house and tell their families, ‘I helped build that house when I was in high school,’” he said.
