Ludington Center Open as City Cooling Center in Heat Wave

June 15, 2022

Ludington Center, Albion College

The Ludington Center at Superior and Cass streets is one of six cooling centers set up by the City of Albion.

Albion College’s Ludington Center, located in downtown Albion at 101 N. Superior St., is one of a half-dozen cooling centers in the City available to the public during this week’s heat wave.

Ludington is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the front desk is staffed but there is no need to check in. Community members are encouraged to stop in, relax, cool down and take a break from the heat. The College’s School for Public Purpose and Professional Advancement (SPP), based in the Ludington Center, is providing bottled water to visitors.

“The City had reached out to the College about whether we’d be willing to participate in the cooling-center effort,” said Ken Snyder, associate dean of students and director of campus safety. “One of Ludington’s purposes is for the College and community to meet and collaborate. It’s air-conditioned, it’s downtown and more centrally located than campus. I thought it would be a good spot. I contacted [SPP Dean Dr.] Ashley Woodson, and she thought it was a great idea.”

“Many of the staff members who serve in the Ludington Center are proud Albion residents, and all of us encourage our neighbors to consider us a resource as we navigate this extreme weather together,” Woodson said. “We’re also proud to be active in conversations about sustainability and civic engagement as tools for developing safe and more inclusive responses to the environmental challenges we face as a community.”

Additional cooling centers in Albion include:

  • The Public Library, open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the children’s room open from 2-7 p.m.;
  • Open Swim at the Opportunity High School (Wednesday, 1-4 p.m.);
  • The Mayor’s Office in City Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
  • The Albion Department of Public Safety lobby, open 24/7;
  • Tractor Supply, which is open for pet owners and pets.

Temperatures are expected to moderate by Friday and through the weekend, but 90-degree days are in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday.

“If the City reaches out again, we’ll be happy to collaborate with them,” Snyder said.