BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- One of the fundamental tenets of CBI Design Professionals is a commitment to giving back to the community, and the company delivered on that promise with the recent gift of a community room to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office substation in Pontiac, Michigan.
The community room provides a safe space for children and other community members, and the update designed by CBI is a welcome addition that adds tables and chairs, two big-screen TVs and cabinets packed with board games and books. The walls of the community room have also been scrubbed clean, with the drab decor replaced by a custom color scheme that's especially kid-friendly.
The gift was the brainchild of Sandi Marshall, the office manager of CBI Design Professionals, an architectural design firm based in nearby Bloomfield Hills.
"If it helps just one child, it was worth it," she says of the effort.
She was assisted in her efforts by Community Policing Deputy Gill Garrett, with the idea springing from conversations they'd had while Marshall was delivering Easter baskets for Pontiac children last spring.
The plan was put in place in July, with CBI donating design services and reaching out to both clients and contractors for financial help and other assistance to help bring the project to fruition.
The ribbon-cutting took place on November 5th, and the newly spruced-up room will also be used for child custody exchanges, tutoring and neighborhood watch meetings, among other things.
The experience was a unique one for Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, a huge advocate of community policing who nonetheless recognizes the occasional issues in implementing it.
"They saw a need and were willing to pitch in to help, to support the cause," Bouchard said. "This corporate citizen is making a difference to so many in the community."
But Bouchard and Gill Garrett didn't necessarily get to see the finished product right away. It took several days to complete the updates, and Garrett wasn't allowed to see them until the big reveal, despite his efforts to take a peek beforehand.
"I was like a kid in a candy store," Garrett said afterward, chuckling about the cat-and-mouse game.
For Sandi Marshall, meanwhile, the project was proof of the positive power of giving back.
"It has been an amazing process to create a room that can be used by the community in many ways," she said. "It's been very rewarding."
According to Garrett, there are plans to install electronic gaming systems at some point in the future, which should make the community room even more of an attraction.
Bouchard was quick to add that while the Oakland County Sheriff's Office substation is currently closed to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions, it will be available for public use if the need arises. It will also give local residents something else to look forward to as those restrictions are lifted.
The substation is located at 110 E. Pike Street in Pontiac, while CBI Design Professionals is located in nearby Bloomfield Hills. The local residential architectural firm serves the needs of clients interested in renovations, new constructions or adaptive reuse. Additionally the company also works on commercial, educational, and religious structures. The luxury architecture firm partners with the client and builder throughout planning and development of their one-of-a-kind design solutions. For more information about CBI Design Professionals visit the company online at: https://cbidesign.net/
Media Contact
Sandi Marshall, CBI Design Professionals, +1 (248) 645-2605, [email protected]
SOURCE CBI Design Professionals
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