Before it is complete, the community center will occupy 8 acres and also will include a 25-acre nature park that the city of Salem will build.
(SALEM) - People who live in the Salem area were given an amazing gift Monday. That gift will come in the form of a new community center and it will be one with few rivals, according to Randy Curtis with the Salvation Army.
"We're worked on this for almost two years now, and it's a great day for Salem and the Mid-Willamette Valley to have the community center being approved and built here."
The grant for the project is from the Kroc Foundation. Ray Kroc found the McDonald's chain of restaurants. The Salvation Army says $50 million will be committed, and the Kroc Center is expected to be completed in 2008.
It's more than a feather in the cap for city leaders like Salem Mayor Janet Taylor, When you're doing positive things like that, that really make your city more vibrant, it's just the most wonderful time to be a part of the community and a part where you're making a difference, you're helping in some small way."
One of Salem`s most driven political activists, retired businessman Dick Withnell, says the scope of the project is all-encompassing, "The boy's club will be involved, the 'Y' will be involved, there are a lot of other agencies that will be involved, so it's a real winner, it really is."
Salem Chamber of Commerce Director Mike McLaren puts it like this, "It's just phenomenal, it really is the epitome of what`s possible when people come together and make great things happen, it is a gift for generations to come."
Before it is complete, the community center will occupy 8 acres and also will include a 25-acre nature park that the city of Salem will build.
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Kroc Center Will be Gift for GenerationsSalem-News.com