The Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
Description
Currently under construction, the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center will be a 3-story building situated on a 3.3 acre downtown site in Quincy, Ill. Quincy sits on the Mississippi River and is located about 140 miles north of St. Louis, Mo. The project will be located in the Downtown Historic Business District within two blocks of residential neighborhoods. The facility’s comprehensive services will provide access to physical fitness, recreation, arts engagement, adult education and employment services for low-income families and individuals of all ages. The 96,000 square foot building will feature a gym, community and youth rooms, a kitchen, classrooms and administrative and office space for the Salvation Army.
The new facility will be one of six Kroc Centers built in the Salvation Army’s Central Territory with funding from the estate of philanthropist Joan Kroc, the late wife of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, who envisioned these centers providing quality programs and services for at-risk youth, families and individuals.
The Salvation Army began providing social services to the residents of Quincy in 1893 and over the years has expanded its service delivery system to include rent and utility assistance, transportation and auto repairs. In addition, the Quincy Salvation Army provides disaster services and operates a 14-bed shelter for homeless families and single men and women.
The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center will offer deeper service delivery, providing low-income families with the tools and resources to move out of poverty. New services will include an after-school program; tutoring; mentoring; and literacy, nutrition and computer classes, along with employment education and assistance, job training, adult career and continuing education, financial management and life-skills training.
Reflecting the Kroc legacy’s commitment to diversity, the center will be open to people of all income levels. Up to 65 percent of families who take advantage of the Kroc Center’s resources and activities are expected to have incomes at or below the poverty level.
A Green Advantage
The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center will achieve LEED Silver certification.
Investment Type
A total of $33.9 million in NMTC financing was provided to the Kroc Center using $18.5 million of Enterprise’s sixth round (ARRA – “Stimulus”) NMTC allocation and $15.4 million in allocation from Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF). JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA served as the NMTC investor.
Market
Quincy, Ill., is a highly distressed non-metropolitan census tract located on the Mississippi River. The city has a population of 40,000, with 112,000 people in the surrounding micropolitan area.
The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center will provide low-income residents with an unprecedented level of services, and recreational and educational opportunities. There is no comparable facility in Quincy or the surrounding area.
Community Impact
Like many mid-size Midwest cities, Quincy has seen its downtown decline as new development has occurred away from the central business district. The Quincy Kroc Center is integral to the city’s formal revitalization plan, promising to draw residents to downtown and spur other business and economic development projects. Given its sheer size, the center will be a major anchor in the downtown area and is projected to have a positive impact on the community’s low-income residents – 62 percent of whom fall below the poverty line.
The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center is expected to serve 75,000 individuals annually and promises to create 102 new full-time jobs for low-income workers. Employment will be related to the provision of services offered at the center (instructors, counselors, youth lifeguards, etc.).
Sponsor
The Salvation Army, Central Territory
Investor
JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA