Eastside Community Center will see new life, under a plan approved this morning by the Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety.

The center, on McClure Road in the East Columbus neighborhood, closed last fall and its board of directors disbanded after running into serious financial problems. But under a plan put together by the United Way of Bartholomew County, the Heritage Fund and City Councilman Dascal Bunch, the center will reopen for some events.

Mark Stewart, president of the local United Way, said there are some functions that neighborhood needs and the United Way would open the center up for those, such as tax preparation, homework with a cop and community events. Eventually, the United Way hopes to find a permanent solution to the situation, Stewart said.

The city owns the building where the center was located and has rented it to Eastside Community Center since 1978 for $1 a year. The Board of Works terminated that lease this morning and agreed to a new, six-month lease with the United Way.