This book is a case study of one English community education center during the 1970s and a little beyond. It introduces the building, Sutton Centre; the town, Sutton-in-Ashfield, North Nottinghamshire; community education; and the period of time in which the story is set. Nineteen chapters concentrate upon the actions and the arguments that took place as the feasibility study, planning, and development for the center progressed. The whole range of public services that were brought together under the center's roof are discussed in the order in which they appeared in the history of the center. The services include the secondary school, recreation center, and specialized agencies. How the center attracted attention to itself and to the town is discussed. Another focus is the challenge that the center presented to the public sector to resolve its problems and bring forth more of its potential. An important part of the book is its emphasis on the major political and economic changes that took place during the seventies. Thus, the story also involves how the building, and especially those in it, responded to changes in the meaning and financing of care--the quality of their reactions as well as their actions. The final chapter discusses issues that were raised by the sense of innovation that the building represented. Two sets of issues are included: those posed by the building itself and those promoted by it. (YLB)