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Give the Kids a Chance – Give the community a Chance
Lincoln School MPS Closed School Properties Community Asset Development Process Dream Center Minneapolis is pleased to provide this proposal to Minneapolis Public Schools to serve as master developer to gain the capacity to acquire the Lincoln School (valued at 6 million dollars) to develop a community Education and Wellness Campus for North Minneapolis. As master developer for the Lincoln School Dream Center Minneapolis we strive for effective management where purchase price, burden cost, anchor tenants, four fold partnerships are analyzed and crucial to the redevelopment process. Strategic partnerships and funds from donors, tenants, government and state, and community leaders will provide a strong balance of expertise and buying power necessary to revitalize the building site and nearby community. Executive Director of Youth Resources, Ron McConico would take a leadership role as program architect, with 30 years of proven success in the “advancement of urban youth and organizations that serve them to reduce illiteracy, poverty, crime and fatherlessness.” Ron is an Indigenous leader in North Minneapolis growing up on Plymouth Ave. and has lived in the community for more than 50 years. He worked with Hospitality House for more than 15 years as a worker on the streets with kids to program director. He has seen and helped many youth break the cycle of poverty and crime. He has also developed and run multiple adult and youth computer learning centers teaching both soft skills and computer skills to obtain viable living wage jobs. The focus of our redevelopment space of Lincoln School will be aligned with the three goals of Health, Education, and a Resource Campus for North Minneapolis as laid out by the Mpls School Board and the community. We would attain the goals within a Christian perspective and framework to create platforms for holistic health of the community. This will be done with an attitude of cooperation with existing non-profits, businesses, churches, government and community members with our common value statement to ensure sustainable plan of wholeness, not just for this project but to fit as a puzzle piece in the community. We will forge new partnerships to encourage strong education, economic, moral, and cultural values within the neighborhood and in order for growth of a sustainable community. Dream Center Minneapolis would be multifunctional. We will use the facility for programming for
Our youth program will incorporate a jobs program and the successful 3 Deep program (education, athletic and moral development) that has been run by Bishop Joe Sutton http://www.mbic.info/three_deep.htm We are not looking to replicate already successful programs, but to initiate services and programs that the community needs or are not up to capacity. Our role of master developer will create sustainability and leverage the ability for community ownership, due to its ability to match and advance the community need. We will lease space that is dedicated to community, family, youth development and world missions. Each service that is offered will be complementary to the next. Each tenant will make a commitment to community, common values and will participate in tenant meetings. Rent will be market rate with favored rent to youth serving organizations Youth Resources will provide building/grounds and leadership development classes for the purposes of youth discipleship, community development and parental training. High quality surroundings and environment will be imperative to bring dignity and healing to the community, families and youth. To that end we will provide an environment that is conducive to leadership development. This is a 360o leadership development plan. To have strong, healthy youth they also need a healthy family, community and surroundings. They need to see a chance for hope. All partners will work together to make each other better so we can better serve the youth of the community and their family’s so they can provide quality services to develop youth leaders. Quality developments in education, physical development, employment, leadership, and spiritual maturity are our goal. This will be Youth Resources commitment to fulfilling The Great Commission. We will strive to bring the highest quality of operation and dignity to everything owned and operated by Youth Resources. The Lincoln
School, located at 2131 12th Ave North in Minneapolis, serves the North
Minneapolis community that is in the heart of a severely depressed neighborhood
in crisis and community members experience the painful statistics surrounding
issues of foreclosure, teen pregnancy, AIDS. The private
school would start with K – 8th grade and
the curriculum
would subscribe to the standards of the state but
also advance the teaching in the beliefs of Martin Luther King Jr.,
Entrepreneurship, backyard hydroponics, green technologies (this is the perfect
building for it) and building strong moral development. Our afterschool programs
would enroll 3-12 graders and be unique in providing and incorporating a jobs
program, and the successful Three Deep program that would include sports
programs, educational development and moral character. Tutoring would be done in
a creative atmosphere.
There would also be clubs that would embrace tutoring with different themes of theater, arts, entrepreneurship, sports, and music just to name a few. We would also have a church and worship center located in the building that would not be internally focused but would provide a myriad of social services that would get at the root of the problem. A portion of the building would be a dormitory that would house an effective AmeriCorps program that would be in place to serve at Dream Center Minneapolis. This would increase the student to teacher ratio and academic enrichment of at risk youth. We have already developed a scholarship fund that is backed by a more than five million dollar endowment that will provide $200,000 worth of scholarships per year. We are working on our estimated budget. Earned Income would come from leases of businesses, community kitchen, print shop, banquet center, community theatre and art programs staged in the 900 seat auditorium. We will have a fundraising committee made up of individuals from the local and greater Minneapolis community. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this request regarding Dream Center Minneapolis’s potential acquisition to become master developer of Lincoln School from Health & Education Campus and Minneapolis Public Schools. Please contact Ron McConico at (612) 529-0198 or ron@mcconico.com to set up a meeting. Sincerely, Ron McConico
Ron McConico 612-529-0198
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Youth Resources 2114 Queen Ave. North Privacy Statement - Statement of Faith - Audit 2008 - History of North Mpls 501(c)3 Document
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