Foundation wants Community Building at Woodard Park

A foundation has been created to bring a community building to St. Joseph.

The St. Joseph Recreation Foundation was registered with the state in June.
It is a not-for-profit foundation.

Jim Page and Todd Hitt, who originated the idea for the foundation, will present the village board with a proposal tonight for a community building.

The board has on the agenda approval of a resolution supporting the issue.

The resolution states that a community survey in 2020 showed there was broad public support for the creation of a community building for use by residents of the village of St. Joseph and St. Joseph Township. The public said they wanted a space for community events, wedding receptions, graduation parties, fundraisers and recreation activities.

A private donation was made to the village for $300,000 and that money was earmarked for a community building.

The resolution goes on to state that the village does not have the staff or resources to fundraise, oversee, manage or. build a community building.

Because of this a “diverse group for St. Joseph village and St. Joseph township citizens have created a not-for-profit corporation ….known as the St. Joseph Recreation Foundation created with the express intent to fund, build and operate a community center in partnership with the village of St. Joseph and the Township of St. Joseph.”

The resolution goes on to state that the foundation has already identified a private foundation which has promised to donate $1million to the foundation to be dedicated towards building the community center.

The foundation will continue to fundraise, engage an architect for a feasibility study and has researched nine other community centers in the area to determine the most cost effective and efficient design for the building.

The resolution then states the village will donate the $300,000 to the project and have the village staff work with the foundation to build and operate a community center that will be built on five acres of ground east of Woodard Family Community Park on Grand Street.

The village board will meet at 7 p.m. tonight to hear the proposal and vote on the resolution.