We commend both Lincoln University and the Jefferson City's Parks Department - their unique partnership has produced a grand multipurpose center that neither party could have done on its own.
Both Lincoln students and city residents can access the center, which can be used for basketball, meetings/events, walking around the city's largest indoor track, exercising in a fitness center, taking wellness/fitness classes, playing volleyball and more.
The center's grand opening isn't until March 24, but already it has proved a popular destination. On the morning of the start of the center's "soft opening," a large group of Lincoln students gathered outside, eager to make use of the new center.
Even during that soft opening period, the center hosted nearly 1,000 Special Olympics athletes in a regional basketball tournament.
Construction on the $12 million, three-level, 80,000 square foot structure was completed right on schedule. Lincoln contributed $5.5 million to the cost, $4 million from a gift, while Parks provided $6.5 million from savings accumulated from sales tax collections.
For Lincoln students, the cost to use the center is built into their tuition. Jefferson City residents can pay for a single visit, or can buy a membership. Various membership packages are available. For adults, a membership costs $25 a month or $300 a year.
The planning for the project hasn't always been smooth.
Bill Lockwood, the longtime director of the city's Parks Department, retired earlier than he had intended amid tensions between the department staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission. Some Parks staffers said the commission, which oversees the department, shut them out of parts of the planning process.
Some critics of the project say city taxpayers should not have funded the majority of the project.
Members of the public also have questioned whether the center would be available more for LU students than the Jefferson City community.
Everyone involved in the project has assured the critics that the center will afford plenty of opportunities for use by everyone. We hope LU students and city residents take advantage of this great opportunity for fitness, learning, socializing and more.
The center should be a point of pride for the community as a whole.