The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County remains undecided on whether or not to accept a financial offer from the City of Sun Prairie that would support the purchase of a former church building at which the BGCDC would create a new youth community center.
On August 14, the BGCDC asked the City of Sun Prairie for $200,000 which would be used to complete the purchase of the former Peace Lutheran Church Building at 232 Windsor Street in Sun Prairie. The former church has been vacant and the Boys and Girls Club sought to convert the facility into a youth community center that would serve over 200 children every day.
It would be the first brick-and-mortar building the Club owns outside of the City of Madison and serve a fast-growing community.
The Sun Prairie City Council opted not to vote on the 14th about the proposal from the Boys and Girls Club and further deliberated the issue during a session on August 21 before deciding to offer the club a $50,000 grant and a no-interest $150,000 loan.
Meanwhile, support for a new Boys and Girls Club presence in Sun Prairie is growing. The Sun Prairie School Board passed a resolution supporting the idea of the Boys and Girls Club coming to Sun Prairie. The resolution states that the Sun Prairie School Board believes the Boys and Girls Club will benefit all students, staff, parents and volunteers of the school district. The Board wholeheartedly supports the Boys and Girls Club coming to Sun Prairie.
“It was extremely empowering,” Boys and Girls Club CEO Rod Mitchell said of the School Board resolution. “It really shows the commitment that the Sun Prairie School District has to kids in the community. It is very welcoming. It shows how our partnership can and will grow with the school district. We’re very thankful for the unprovoked resolution. It’s definitely something we’re extremely happy about.”
As for the grant and loan offers of the Sun Prairie City Council, Mitchell said the Club has not yet had an opportunity to review the offer. The offer comes attached with an agreement between the Club and the City of Sun Prairie, the terms of which Mitchell wants to review with the BGCDC Board of Directors.
“We haven’t had a chance to go through it and see the terms. Whatever those terms are would affect what we would do,” Mitchell said. “There’s nothing we are looking for in particular. It’s a chance to see what the city is thinking.”
Mitchell said the Club’s board meets on September 18 and would expect this topic will be on the agenda.
