Aug. 12, 2024 12:40p
(WGTD)---Racine Mayor Cory Mason wants to move forward with building a new $68 million community center that would include a health clinic even though the funding package hasn’t been fully nailed down.
The new King Center would be built on vacant land next to Julian Thomas Elementary, a block south of the existing King Center.
Mason is proposing that the city borrow $21 million in ‘bridge’ funding to fill the gap.
The city council’s Finance and Personnel Committee is scheduled to consider the proposal at its regularly-scheduled meeting Monday night.
The city expects to recover its $21 million through energy credits, private donations and federal and state grants that are still in the application status.
The city is a bit under the gun. Some of the money to build the center would come from federal COVID relief funds. They need to be encumbered before the end of the year.
In addition to the health clinic, which would be moved over from the basement of Julian Thomas, the new building is to include a large gym, a fitness center, multipurpose rooms, a reading room, social lounges and a community kitchen.
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