BHC

The Robert "Bob" Harrison Center

Our History

Founder Robert “Bob” Harrison (1943-2017) was the former Madison County District 6 Commissioner who had a vision for the “graying” community of Northwest Huntsville. He envisioned a senior wellness center modeled after The Patrick Henry Hays Senior Center in his hometown of North Little Rock, Arkansas. It would also be a substantial economic investment in the Cedar Point community.

At Commissioner Harrison’ induction, the Madison County Commission borrowed $4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. District 6 utilized county workers and equipment, adding $2 million in site preparation and road construction. Other funding resources included District 6 allocations, membership fees, and corporate donations.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in April of 2012 and the BHC officially opened on February 25, 2013. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was able to be scheduled at a later date on Friday, April 26, 2013. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Friday, April 26, 2013. The BHC’s beautiful campus initially included a 20,000 sq ft building, a pavilion, a walking trail, and a modular building for storage.

In 2020, the Northwest community elected Commissioner Violet Edwards to the Madison County Commission for District 6 and she took the torch and assumed the leadership of sustainment and progression for the BHC. Commissioner Edward’s first mission was to procure the 21.53 acres of land adjoining the BHC and enlarge the campus’ footprint and bringing the total acreage to approximately 48 acres. With grants from the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Alabama Department of Transportation, additional parking, outdoor lighting, and sidewalks were constructed to better integrate the center into the community, Also, the modular storage unit was converted into a classroom/meeting space for small gatherings and to better welcome in the community and announce the BHC’s presence, signage was erected along Pulaski Pike as well.