Brooklyn Park Seeks State Help To Fund CAC Expansion

With only 10 days left in the legislative session, officials in Brooklyn Park are pushing for funding to expand the Community Activity Center.

The city has been considering an expansion of the CAC in recent years.

Bills in the Minnesota House and Senate would give $9.5 million to Brooklyn Park to expand the facility.

Much of those funds would be used to construct three indoor multi-sport courts. It would also be updated to meet American Disability Act requirements. 

Mayor Hollies Winston said the expansion would mean more than just a place to practice sports for the city’s youth.

 “That keeps kids active,” he said. “Keeps them in a stream that, rather than a school to prison pipeline, it’s very much a school to activities to trades to jobs to college pipeline.”

With only 10 days left in the legislative session, officials in Brooklyn Park are pushing for funding to expand the Community Activity Center.

Previously, city officials had considered removing one of the ice sheets at the facility and replacing it with courts. However, that plan has now been scrapped.

Local sports officials said they need the extra space.

“We continue to see growth in our [Brooklyn Park Athletic Association] program, but we also see constraints in the schools and the space that we use for our practices and our games,” said Courtney Cassem, basketball president with the Brooklyn Park Athletic Association.

Rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley (DFL-Brooklyn Park) introduced the bill in the House. Meanwhile, Senators John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and Susan Pha (DFL-Brooklyn Park) are carrying the bill in the Senate. 

Brooklyn Park