City of Pasco says ARPA funding will be shared between MLK Center and Boys & Girls Club

PASCO, Wash. - After the NAACP Tri-Cities chapter and supporters spoke up at the City of Pasco Council Meeting on August 5, new information is coming to light over ARPA funding for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center.

RELATED: Tri-Cities NAACP questions Pasco City Council on reallocation of funds meant for MLK Center

According to the City, the ARPA funding is going to be shared between the MLK Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Benton and Franklin Counties.

"The City had ARPA funding, some money left over, so we put about $1.2 [million] towards the Boys and Girls Club, and then $2.5 [million] towards the MLK Center," said Alyssa Warner, who is with the City of Pasco.

Brian Ace with the Boys and Girls Club of Benton and Franklin Counties said the Pasco 1953 Clubhouse is in need of renovations and the ARPA funding will help kick off the first phase of the Master Plan that is set to start in early 2025.

RELATED: Group raises questions about funding for Pasco's MLK Center remodel

"I think it was critical to partner with the City Council early on in COVID to recognize that ARPA funding could really make a huge benefit on this building," Ace said. "In 2021, when the council originally allocated those dollars both to the Boys and Girls Club and the Martin Luther King Center, we saw the ability to take two amazing projects and lift them both up and we're excited to see improvements in both spaces."

Ace said with the Master Plan, the Clubhouse will be able to serve more young people.

"It is really expanding our services to teens. Sometimes when people think of Boys and Girls Clubs, they think of younger kids," Ace said. "But, at this point, we serve just as many middle school and high school youth as we do elementary kids. The signature piece of the renovations to come is expanding our middle school room and our high school room to really focus on teens, workforce development, academic success and character and leadership."

Ace said the Master Plan not only focuses on the local youths' futures, but provides a safe space for them to grow. He said pairing public dollars with private dollars that have been donated can provide a home away from home for the teens they serve.

As for the MLK Center renovations, Warner said the City of Pasco is still seeking more aid in helping the center through the renovation plans.

"We're still working on investments in the MLK Center," Warner said. "We're still moving forward with that, and part of that is going to be talked about in our capital improvements plan proposal."

Warner said the City of Pasco will host its first Open House meeting for the Capital Improvement Plan on August 20 at Cafe Con Arte from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is a chance for people to come in and tell the City their feedback about the spending plan for the MLK Center and all of the Capital Improvement projects in Pasco moving forward.

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