HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-13-2007 $40 million Kroc center will shine as ‘a beacon of hope’ o�sou TH
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Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
March 13, 2007
10 a.m.
Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
$40 million Kroc center will shine as `a beacon of hope'
Mayor Stephen J. Luecke says South Bend is "up to the challenge" and the opportunity
resulting from a$40 million grant to the Salvation Army that will create the Ray and Joan
Kroc Corps Community Center in South Bend.
Luecke gathered today(Tuesday, March 13, 2007)with Salvation Army officials and
other community leaders in announcing the receipt of the grant at Alonzo Watson Park,
on the southeast corner of Chapin Street and Western Avenue, site of the future facility.
The facility is expected to include a 10,000-square-foot aquatics center/water park, a gym
and climbing wall, a recording studio, a chapel and a greenhouse.
"We cherish the life and promise of each child. This facility will be a great blessing for
our community and provide the opportunity for all our children to reach their full
potential," Luecke said. "This will be a place where families are strengthened, where
creativity flourishes, and where dreams are nurtured."
South Bend was one of only 10 Midwestern cities to pre-qualify for the grant in
December 2004, including being the only city in Indiana The amount awarded is $5
million more than originally allocated. Half the project costs are for construction with the
remainder supporting an operational endowment.
For full details about the facility and today's announcement, visit the St. Joseph County
Salvation Army web site at http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/sjc
But one last step remains before the dream becomes a reality. The community must raise
$10 million—its matching share of the endowment -- to support the center's ongoing
operation. Just as the amount of the grant increased, the challenge is $1.25 million more
than originally anticipated. The result is that for each $1 contributed by a South Bend
area resident, $5 is invested in the community.
"We are up to the challenge. One can already feel the energy building," Luecke said.
"With our great leadership team, the generosity of this community, and the Kroc Center's
appeal to regional—and even national—foundations, we will meet our goal."
The fund-raising effort is being guided by Father Theodore Hesburgh, honorary chair,
with former Indiana Gov. Joe Keman and former Mayor Bob Beutter of Mishawaka
serving as co-chairs. To date, about $1.7 million in pledges have been secured. The
process is expected to take 18 months. Construction will begin in early spring 2008. The
facility will open in late fall 2009.
"I look forward to the groundbreaking and opening day for the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps
Community Center at Alonzo Watson Park," Luecke said. "Mrs. Kroc's inspirational gift
is planting seeds that will bring bountiful harvests. The Kroc Center will be a beacon of
hope for our community."
The City of South Bend has been a key partner in the initiative, contributing the 8.5-acre
Alonzo Watson Park at the southwest corner of Western Avenue and Chapin Street and
an additional acre, together worth an estimated $237,500.
"There's a lot to celebrate," said Jeff Gibney, the city's director of community and
economic development. "The development of this site is the culmination of a 15-year
private-public partnership along the Western-Chapin corridor with a shopping center, a
health clinic and the new Studebaker National Museum at the museum campus."
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