RACINE, Wis. — Members of the Lincoln-King neighborhood shared their enthusiasm Friday about a multi-million dollar community and health center currently under construction in their neighborhood.
On Tuesday, city leaders moved forward with plans to seek additional funding for the King Center Project after breaking ground on the development, located on Prospect and MLK Drive, last October.
Tabares Rhinehouse told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin that he’s lived in the area for about 16 years and is excited about what’s to come.
“Now that they are actually doing it I’m like, ‘Woah,’” Rhinehouse said. “That kind of blew my mind because I ain’t used to stuff just happening or somebody doing, especially in this neighborhood.”
The new, roughly $68 million building is meant to be an upgrade to the city’s MLK community center, located nearby on Hamilton Street and MLK Drive.
The development would usher in the city’s first Federally Qualified Health Center, which will provide primary, dental, and mental health care for uninsured and underinsured people in the area.
It’s welcome news for mom Eliza Santoya.
"I live so far from the hospital,” Santoya shared. “It would be nice to be able to just walk right here."
The Lincoln-King Community and Health Center would also continue the legacy of the existing center as a social hub. The new center would be nearly twice the size and would be equipped with amenities like a gym and classrooms for recreational programming.
Both Rhinehouse and Santoya said they’re excited about the prospect of bringing their kids to take advantage of the new center.
The development is set to be the focal point of the city’s efforts to revitalize the area through better housing options, and improvements like sidewalks, street lighting, and utilities.
Watch: Lincoln-King neighbor excited about multi-million dollar community center
The center is expected to be operational by the end of 2026. City leaders said once the new Lincoln-King center opens, the current MLK center will be razed because of “ongoing maintenance challenges.”
They also said the future use of the site has not yet been determined.
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