New Superior facility designed to celebrate life

May 30—SUPERIOR — The new Downs Life Celebration Center is nearing completion at 1902 N. 34th St.

And the first celebration of life for the new center is being planned for June 8, said Jeff Cushman, one of the owners of the new building designed specifically for honoring the memory of loved ones during the mourning process.

Members of the Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce received a sneak peek of the new facility during a walk-through Tuesday, May 28, and the public will get a chance to see the new building during an open house at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 6.

The open house will include a flag-raising by the Richard. I Bong Post of the American Legion, Cushman said.

"Nobody wants to come to a funeral home, but we tried to make a place that is more welcoming, more bright to bring us to the next generation of funeral service in the area," Cushman said. "I think this is one of the nicest facilities you'll be in. We had a great team put this together."

The new 11,400-square-foot building was constructed all on one level. It offers a chapel that can seat up to 150 people, a large foyer and a reception room where luncheons can be held following services. Outside, a flag pole has been erected to provide veterans with military honors.

Outside of public view, the building includes a crematorium and room for preparing individuals for a final viewing during services. New offices allow families to plan their loved ones' funerals in privacy and a showroom allows families to select options for their loved ones' final disposition.

"We're still working on a few things," Cushman said. "The blacktop isn't done yet. ... We still don't have occupancy yet."

Once complete, the building will replace Downs Funeral Home at 1617 N. 19th St., a partially accessible building constructed nearly 70 years ago. While the funeral home is the newest facility in Superior, and the only one designed specifically for funerals in Superior, Cushman said the location, space and accessibility were limiting factors at Downs Funeral Home.

The reception room was added because finding a place for a luncheon or gathering after a funeral can be difficult, said Steve Elsmore, a partner in Downs Life Celebration Center. He said it's not an option at the current location, which meant families had to organize that separately from the funeral.

"This will make it much easier for families to have a service on that side of the building ... and have a luncheon here," Elsmore said.

While the reception area does not include a commercial kitchen, it does provide a space where caterers could work, or a potluck could be set up.

"We're super proud of this," Elsmore said. "This is going to be here for a long time. ... Our region deserves this and we stuck our neck out to do it. We're excited to get started."

The plan for the building included utilizing technology to accommodate larger funerals. Cameras pointing at the altar area will allow the service to be broadcast to televisions in the foyer and reception area. That would allow them to accommodate more than 300 people, Cushman said.

"Our feeling was just to make it better, give back to the community," Cushman said. "To us, this is a gift to the community."