Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
Wilmington, Del. – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons, Tom Carper and U.S. Representative Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced $10 million for REACH Riverside and The WRK Group, which includes The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center, in support of a new Kingswood Community Center.
The Senate Appropriations Committee recently passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 government spending package, which includes funding for all government agencies and programs through the end of Fiscal Year 2022. The package includes $97 million for key Delaware projects, with the second largest amount of funding set to go towards a new Kingswood Community Center facility.
Kingswood Community Center’s mission is to be a community that assists Wilmington residents and surrounding communities in achieving their potential for economic, social, and personal wellbeing and provide them with positive, reassuring programs that empower families. Kingswood is dedicated to youth and educational services, family, and senior support services.
“I was thrilled to work with my congressional colleagues to deliver this much-needed funding to help build a new Kingswood Community Center,” said Senator Carper. “The WRK Group continues to improve the lives of Eastside residents, and their work will have lasting effects for generations to come.”
“I will never stop being grateful for the ways in which REACH and The WRK Group support our community,” said Senator Coons. “We have to remember that Kingswood has always been a place that has been a foundation and a refuge. What we’re celebrating today is the next generation, the next iteration, and a re-imagination of Kingswood. This $10 million is the result of years of planning and visions for this community, and I couldn’t be more hopeful for the impact the new Kingswood Community Center will have in Wilmington.”
“Today’s announcement will help drive the passionate revitalization efforts of the Riverside neighborhood by REACH Riverside and the WRK Group,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “This $10 million in funding, secured by Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and me, will accelerate their impactful work to bring the Kingswood Community Center to fruition, providing a safe, supportive, and state-of-the-art space for the surrounding Riverside community to thrive.”
“The Riverside neighborhood has been relegated to the side lines for decades. Our community has waited, and our prayers and hopes are finally being answered and forward motion is being felt and seen,” said Logan Herring Sr., CEO of REACH Riverside. “Thanks to the dedication of elected officials like Senator Chris Coons, as well as Senator Tom Carper and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester the dream of a new state-of-the-art Kingswood Community Center is that much closer to becoming reality. Thank you, Senator Coons, for securing $10 million in funding and for seeing the value of investing in underserved communities like Riverside.”
Built in 1958, Kingswood Community Center has outgrown the space and is faced with deteriorating systems that require frequent repairs. The current 17,494 square-foot building is no longer adequate for the current program or able to support the growing demand and ambitious REACH Riverside community redevelopment plan. It cannot provide the amenities that would attract new residents to the Riverside community, a key strategy for creating a mixed-income neighborhood. A new Kingswood Community Center will be the centerpiece of Riverside revitalization, creating a tangible and meaningful structure that will catalyze the community’s transformation.
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