WM Council still mulling Jackson Center options

WM Council still mulling Jackson Center options

City looking at how reopened facility would be used By John Rech

news @ thee veningtimes .com

The Roberta Jackson Neighborhood Center remained vacant as the City Council looked at the next two steps toward bringing the shuttered community center out of moth balls.

City Council closed the center for health and safety reasons after it was found ransacked as voting machines arrived for the November 2014 election.

The center stood vacant and unrepaired as the lot was considered by the school district for the new Jackson Wonder school, but the council valued the significance of the center to the community more than the $100,000 offer and the lure of an East Broadway show piece.

In February 2017, the council began considering reopening the center. After inspections, council voted the center safe to reopen. In March the council allocated $80,000 toward repairs.

A prospective tenant serving the elderly during the day emerged but City Council stiff armed the group as aldermen wanted at least a portion of the building partitioned and open to the public

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