By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
Last Wednesday, members of the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee visited the Northfield Community Resource Center (NCRC). The visit was part of the committee’s tour of southern Minnesota to see several of different projects that have applied for state bonding to help fund the project. In a conversation with KYMN News, Co-Chair of the Committee, State Representative Mary Franson, says that visits like this help them better understand projects before they decide on allocating bonding money:
“We’re just getting a gauge of what is needed across the state. So these bonding trips give us that sense of the picture. So when we go back to committee and are hearing about the bills in committee, we’ve already seen a lot of the projects already, So we have purpose and experience.” – Rep. Mary Franson, (R-Alexandria), Co-Chair of the House Capital Investment Committee, KYMN News Interview.
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Picture by Logan Wells/KYMN News
The NCRC is owned by the City of Northfield but provides a home for several community institutions, including the Community Action Center, 50 North Senior Center, Head Start Daycare, Healthy Community Initiative, Rice County United Way, the Northfield Community College Collaborative, and the Library Oasis. One estimation by building leaders was that 30-40% of residents regularly interact with the NCRC, and in her address to the legislators, Mayor Erica Zwiefel noted how many different groups and demographics use the building:
“So the NCRC is a place of action with neighbors helping neighbors. It’s a place of community, welcoming and inclusive in nature. It’s a place of education from the Northfield Community Collaborative Collection, 50 North Classes, and the Library Oasis.” – Erica Zwiefel, Northfield Mayor, addressing State Legislators.
Interim Executive Director of 50 North, Carla Johnson, expanded on the importance of the community that the organizations provide:
“It has anchored community services of all kinds for those 20 years… And that includes the 2,200 members here at 50 North who engage in our programs for both physical health through our fitness programs and also important socialization so that people do not feel isolated as they age, potentially at home by themselves. It’s a great community.” – Carla Johnson, Interim Executive Director at 50 North, KYMN News Interview
The city is applying for $3 million in State bonding dollars, with a $1 million match from the city. Will talk more about the projects planned for the building in tomorrow’s newscast. The committee will continue to visit other projects across Minnesota and vote on the NCRC funding during next year’s Legislative Session.
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