Brooklyn Center Receives $5M in State Funds To Revamp Community Center
The Minnesota Legislature made a $5.1 million financial investment in the city of Brooklyn Center this year.
The appropriation will help the city revamp and address deferred maintenance at the Brooklyn Center Community Center.
Constructed in the 1960s, the community center needs about $3.5 million in repairs.
That includes about $1.5 million in projected costs to replace the existing pool liner and deck surface. HVAC systems in the building also need repairs or replacement.
The city council wants to move ahead with the revamp, but didn’t want to borrow additional money through a bond issuance for a more substantial community center expansion.
The pool lining and deck surface at the Brooklyn Center Community Center need replacement. A $5.1 million allocation from the state legislature is expected to cover the costs.
Likewise, there wasn’t an appetite to ask voters to consider a new sales tax to fund an expansion project. Voters previously rejected a $44 million sales tax request that would have allowed for a large remodel.
“I think there are areas within the city that there is duplication, there are services that we are offering with no outcomes, no data, no results,” said Council Member Laurie Ann Moore. “We are not, in my opinion, as one council member with a vote, in a position to pass more [taxes] onto our residents.”
Council Member Dan Jerzak concurred, saying he wouldn’t support taking on additional debt.
Others on the council, including Mayor April Graves and Council Member Teneshia Kragness appeared more open to a larger project.
“I supported the community center from the beginning,” Kragness said. “I still support that. I think our youth deserve it. I believe those people in the community that prioritize health and wellness deserve it. And I think it’s just unfortunate that we’re unable as a city to provide that as a resource to the community.”
