The Board of Education tonight entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding with Community Resources Council for CRC to open the Avondale
East Community Empowerment and Transformation Center. The center will be located at the former
Avondale East Elementary School, pending zoning approval. CRC will lease 3,284 square feet in the building at 455 SE Golf Park. The plan is
for the Community Empowerment and Transformation Center to house multiple
nonprofits in one location to serve residents of one of Topeka’s poorest
neighborhoods.
"With mutual goals, CRC and USD 501 are able to address their purposes and breathe new life into Avondale East," said CRC Executive Director Nancy Johnson. School Board President Patrick Woods said, "We are extremely excited about this. We were able to keep our promise in terms of repurposing the building and we promised we would not abandon the neighborhood, we didn’t do that. Not only did we keep our promise, we exceeded it in terms of bringing in a partnership that’s already bearing fruit and will make that neighborhood better."
"With mutual goals, CRC and USD 501 are able to address their purposes and breathe new life into Avondale East," said CRC Executive Director Nancy Johnson. School Board President Patrick Woods said, "We are extremely excited about this. We were able to keep our promise in terms of repurposing the building and we promised we would not abandon the neighborhood, we didn’t do that. Not only did we keep our promise, we exceeded it in terms of bringing in a partnership that’s already bearing fruit and will make that neighborhood better."
The Board of Education also approved the sale of 17 acres of
land at 25th and California to Midwest Partners for $748,000. The land is scheduled to be the location of
Topeka’s newest Walmart store.
