A community-wide effort in southern Marquette County is bearing fruit, as the former W Community Center building in K.I. Sawyer is the subject of a new purchase agreement.
The large fitness and community center building had been operated as a YMCA and as a community center previously, but had been closed several times. It is owned by West Branch Township currently, but remained closed--and that's where a local group called
Community Hand-UP came in.
The group has been raising funds and garnering public support to re-open the building and renovate it into a more energy-efficient facility, with a recent commitment on the part of Marquette County of $75,000 toward eventual services to be provided there, such as a library, pool, gym, after-school and summer youth programs, and community groups.
This week, Community Hand-UP announced it has signed a purchase agreement with West Branch Township to buy the building, which had been facing the auction block. The group had been pursuing the option to purchase it for two years.
"This is a win-win situation. The community will have access to this important facility and the township gets much-needed dollars without the risk of gambling at an auction," says Lisa Johnson, organizer of Community Hand-UP.
The group's plan is to re-open the community center by early fall, based on community pledges and fund raising results over the last two years. They are still raising money through efforts like
a Pepsi "Refresh Everything" grant proposal, which is determined by online voting.
Johnson says the building also will need volunteers and help with renovation and building needs as it is prepared for re-opening.
"Purchasing the building is just a part of the process—in order to get it open we need the community's continued involvement. We are thankful for the generous contributions we have received so far and will be calling in our pledges within the next couple of days," she says.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Lisa Johnson, Community Hand-UP
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