THATCHER — Thatcher Mayor Randy Bryce is asking the Town Council and town staff to start planning for the future when it comes to a gathering place for the community.
During the most recent Town Council meeting, Bryce said it’s time to start looking at possible locations for a community center.
“It wouldn’t necessarily replace a rec center, but maybe it would be adjacent to it or something like that, if we could find a suitable location,” Bryce said.
Bryce said he was inspired by discussions with other government officials at the recent Arizona League of Cities and Towns conference in Tucson. He said many communities are finding it difficult to locate a community center due to private-sector growth.
“It would have to be something off-highway,” Bryce said. “That’s one of our main problems; in the Town of Thatcher we were always a main drag through town, which has turned into Highway 70.”
Bryce said offered the idea for planning purposes only; there is no proposal for a specific facility, location or funding as of yet.
In 2021, then Town Councilman Ryan Rapier reached out to the neighboring governments and Eastern Arizona College about partnering in a countywide recreation center, similar in size and scope to the center Freeport-McMoRan developed for its employees in Morenci.
EAC, Pima and Graham County expressed interest —including EAC offering to make land available for the center’s development — but Safford declined participation, and without Safford’s financial support the proposal fell dormant.
