An informal vote by the City Council on Monday night indicates that they’ll be moving forward with renovating Churchill Junior High as a future community center.
A majority of Alderman said they back Churchill, including Kevin Wallace, Dwight White, Sarah Davis, and Jacyln Smith-Esters.
Alderman Kevin Wallace says there will be a lot of “hoops” to jump through but it’s the location that makes the most sense at this time.
Alderwoman Jaclyn Smith-Esters says she’s tired of “kicking down the road.”
She says the city will be able to figure out how to pay for it even if how is unclear at the moment.
Council member Larry Cox suggested doing the work in phases and utilizing existing buildings in the meantime.
Alderman Dwight White brushes off budget concerns saying the city will “figure it out”, adding “you can’t put a price on youth.”
Council member Bradley Hix said that a property on East 5th that the city recently acquired near H.T. Custer Park should be considered.
Hix further said that based on a financial report the council received prior to the votes he didn’t think it was appropriate to move forward with a community center yet.
He also didn’t think the community had a chance to weigh in yet and said he was proposing a public hearing on the matter.
Alderman Wallace said the funding for a community center was always his main concern.
Wallace indicated he’d favor issuing bonds to pay for a community center. Another way of putting it is reapplying funds that will soon be freed from General Obligation bonds that are being paid off.
