On Sept. 2, the learning center welcomed its first students. Hackman said the location of the learning center it critical, pointing out that families in the area are suffering from a severe lack of nearby early learning opportunities. Scott Gruber, the retired president and CEO at Tompkins VIST Bank who is overseeing the renovation of the annex, said he has already seen the impact of the $1.5 million learning center project. He told the crowd that he recently came across a little girl and her mother leaving the learning center. The learning center, Siger said, is about much more than education.