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Construction of six Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers is underway.
by Don McDougald, Lt. Colonel –
The Western Territory has made significant progress in the development of the six Kroc Centers funded by the gift from the Joan Kroc Trust. Three of the centers are under construction, and the remaining three are progressing on the development of the facilities and program and the fundraising for the endowment and capital needs.
The next center to open will be the San Francisco Kroc Center in June 2008. Major George Rocheleau was appointed in July 2007 to begin developing program and hiring center leadership. The facility is located in the heart of the Tenderloin District and will provide needed recreational, educational and spiritual opportunity for the most needy San Francisco youth. The building includes a chapel, multi-purpose room, gymnasium, swimming pool, classrooms and music instruction areas along with other adaptable spaces. The National Commander, Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, will conduct this important dedication.
The next center to open will be Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Construction started this past summer, and the city placed a web camera so the construction activity could be viewed on the Internet (fttp://www.cdad.org/krocwebcam/netcam.jpg). Foundations have been poured and some walls constructed on the 109,000 square foot building. Summer 2009 is the projected completion date.
Salem, Oregon also began construction this year and will be completed a few months after Coeur d’Alene. The 83,400 square foot building will house the current corps and provide a complex of pools, gymnasium and multi-activity rooms. The site is adjacent to a city park with two lakes, and the parkland is an enhancement to the program. The Salem Corps will relocate into the new facility.
The center in Hawaii is still raising funds and designing the building complex. The basic layout of approximately 100,000 square feet is progressing and the hope is that ground can be broken in 2008. The land is in an area that has not been developed, and the Kroc Center will be the first major project and the central focus of a residential area. The Leeward Corps will relocate to the Kroc Center and form the heart of the new center. The project will be in the Hawaiian style with lanais and open walkways and will feel much like a plantation home, creating an inviting atmosphere.
The Phoenix South Mountain project hit a major roadblock when the architectural firm changed its business focus. After the original firm’s management decided to focus on development of prisons, the three architects working on the project left the firm. Although project directors attempted to salvage the existing work, they were unable to do so. The center is expected to be 107,500 feet with chapel/theatre, pools, multi-purpose rooms and six basketball courts
The Long Beach Kroc Center has well-defined plans, but fundraising has not begun. The Long Beach team wanted to resolve the property acquisition issue before taking the campaign public, therefore postponing any major public outreach. The 19-acre site is in a needy area adjacent to the city college. The ambitious project includes a 50-meter competition pool along with a lap pool and recreation pool. The gymnasium is large enough to handle four basketball games at one time. The existing corps is two miles from the new location and will relocate to provide a nucleus of outreach.
The Western Territory’s website (www.usw.salvationarmy.org) has links to descriptions of all the Kroc Centers, including descriptions and drawings of the proposed centers.
