Kroc Center meets money goal

By Amos Maki
November 24, 2009

The Salvation Army now has the $25 million in private funds it needed to begin construction on a long-awaited 100,000-square-foot community and recreation center on the site of the old Mid-South Farigrounds, according to the non-profit’s Web site.

Reaching the $25 million goal triggers a $60 million match from the Kroc Foundation, financing both the construction of the center in Midtown and a permanent endowment for its operation.

In 2005, after undergoing a thorough application process, Memphis was selected as one of only 25 cities across the country to receive a matching gift from the Ray & Joan Kroc Trust to build a Kroc Center.

The 15-acre site for the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center was purchased from the city of Memphis in 2007 and demolition work to remove asphalt and other infrastructure has already begun.

The facility will include arts, education, recreation and worship components, with soccer fields, basketball courts, a fitness center, an aquatic center and a 300-seat performing arts/chapel space. The Salvation Army hopes to break ground on the center in January. Construction is expected to take 15 months, according to said Stephen Carpenter, Kroc Center director.

It will be part of an overall fairgrounds redevelopment project under way by the city, a $175 million multipurpose public space with athletic facilities, shopping, parks and housing.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” said Robert Lipscomb, city director of Housing and Community Development. “It’s a tribute to their hard work and the whole project.”

The city has been trying to figure out what to do with the Mid-South Fairgrounds site for several years.

Last year, city officials chose a plan backed by real estate developer Henry Turley to redevelop the area into a center for retail, entertainment and other purposes.

But disagreements over fees have slowed that project, leading Lipscomb to consider other alternatives. Currently, the city is meeting with as many groups and interested parties as possible to formulate a collective vision for the site.

“Were trying to meet with every neighborhood out there,” said Lipscomb. “Every time we meet with a group, we get a new idea.”

Amos Maki
The Commercial Appeal
November 24, 2009