Go. Evers announced Feb. 24 that Madison and Dane County would be receiving a combined $20.8 million from the Neighborhood Investment Fund program to help specific organizations recover from the pandemic, according to a press release on the City of Madison website.
Each organization has a different mission, but together they “connect the dots” between social, economic, and cultural disparities, a press release from the Office of the Governor said.
“I am glad to award these funds to help local leaders and community-based organizations working together to continue to serve and bolster their neighborhoods, ensuring they don’t just recover but thrive,” Evers said.
The Bayview Foundation is one of the nonprofit organizations receiving grant money from the Neighborhood Investment Fund. Bayview provides low-income residents with affordable housing, according to their website. Bayview also offers art, educational and recreational programs that aim to foster community.
Bayview Foundation Executive Director Alexis London said the average yearly income of their residents is around $15,000. Many of the people Bayview Foundation works with lost their jobs or took pay cuts during the pandemic, London said.
To meet the changing needs of residents at The Bayview Foundation’s housing and community center during COVID — such as access to high-speed internet and healthy foods — the center had to shift its focus away from capital expansion, London said.
The grant awarded $2 million to assist renovation of Bayview’s housing and community center, which will cost $52 million in total. Once complete, the number of low-income families housed at the center will more than double, the Governor’s press release said.
“The money needs to go towards capital improvements that are shovel-ready in the next year,” London said. “During a three-year phase the entire development is going to come down and new apartments, townhouses and a community center will be built.”
Over these three years, a three-story and a four-story apartment building, 57 townhouses and an 11,000 square foot community center will be constructed, the foundation’s website says.
All but one organization receiving funds — The Center for Black Excellence and Culture — are already up and running.
Reverend Alex Gee, Lead Pastor at Fountain of Life Church and founder of Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, is rallying support for an entirely new initiative — The Center for Black Excellence and Culture.
“We’re noticing that people are leaving and having bad experiences in Madison who are Black because there isn’t a place to reinforce our culture,” Gee said.
The 65,000 square foot building will be constructed in the heart of South Madison near some of the city’s oldest Black neighborhoods in order to build upon the legacies already thriving in the area, the website said.
The building will be designed, inspired and led by Black Americans, according to the Center’s website.
Though it is vital that Black influencers create the space, once it is constructed there will be opportunities for the entire community to learn and appreciate Black culture, Gee said.
Program planning for The Center is still in its early stages, but a wide range of activities, events and support will be available to patrons. Classes, lectures, concerts and more will all help put a spotlight on Black culture and achievement, Gee said.
As a University of Wisconsin graduate and lifelong Madison resident, Gee said he is particularly aware of the disconnect between the Black community on campus and the city of Madison.
“I want the [UW] campus to know that we want to be a strong community partner that helps to provide cultural space for Black students and staff, and a place for them to meet the local community of Black folks,” Gee said. “Part of a student’s education is to connect with the community.”
The Madison Public Market received $4 million to expand the reach of the market through training and mentoring for small business owners, Evers’ press release said.
Another portion of the grant will go towards the construction of a new community center for Centro Hispano, the release said. Additionally the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub is receiving funding for business development and entrepreneurial support.
Across the state of Wisconsin, a $650 million investment has been made in the Neighborhood Investment Fund program, the press release from the Office of the Governor said. Among the groups receiving grants exceeding $10 million are the Ho-Chunk Nation, Milwaukee, Racine, Juneau, Green Bay and Oshkosh.
