This rendering shows the proposed new Malone Community Center building, which will be three stories and have 54,000 square feet of space.
COURTESY IMAGE
The Malone Community Center at 2032 U St. has been there since 1982. Leaders are planning to demolish it and build a larger, three-story center on the same spot.
A $20 million project to build a new — and much larger — Malone Community Center in central Lincoln was borne from frustration.
The goal of those who run the longtime community center in a part of town where many of the city’s first black residents lived is to eliminate generational poverty, said Executive Director John Goodwin.
But to do that, the community center needs to show it has done so itself — a bricks-and-mortar example of what’s possible.
The old, 1980s-building — run down and in disrepair — wasn’t doing it. And, Malone Center leaders have had to move many of their programs to other areas of the city because there is no longer enough room at 23rd and U streets, Goodwin said.
The building served its purpose well for many years, Goodwin said, but space constraints and the aging building have been frustrating in recent years.
“Things are created because someone has been frustrated,†Goodwin said.
That creating began in 2020, when all the cultural center leaders were invited to meet with the leaders of the Community Health Endowment.
“They asked us to dream big,†he said. “So we dreamed big.â€
The result: Plans to demolish the original 14,000-square-foot Malone Community Center and build a new, three-story 54,000-square-foot building on the same site.
On Monday, Goodwin appeared before the City Council at a public hearing on a request for a special permit and for the city to vacate an old alley adjacent to the building so Malone can use it for additional parking.
“I’m excited to be here standing before you all to talk to you about this project I’m passionate about,†Goodwin said. “Our vision is to create unity and prosperity in Lincoln and eliminate generational poverty ... this is for the community center for the next 50-100 years.â€
The special permit would waive height requirements as well as setback requirements on three sides of the building, as well as reduce parking requirements.
Because the site is already being used for the community center, the waivers in the special permit won’t impact any residences, city officials said.
The city agreed to sell the 0.39-acre alleyway bordered by Antelope Creek on the west, North 22nd Street on the east and Vine Street on the north for $1. The space was created when Vine Street was rerouted to the new Antelope Valley Parkway.
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird issued a statement saying she supports the expansion through the transfer of property, enabling the center to serve more community members.
Every year, Goodwin said, Malone serves nearly 1,000 children and families through more than 10 programs.
The community center operates a childcare center, an after-school program, athletic programs, wellness programs including maternal wellness, and youth leadership and development programs. The latter include a business leadership program for at-risk high school students and Take Pause, a program to build trust and understanding between teens and police officers.
The Malone Center also offers annual events that draw more than 1,000 people, Goodwin said, and the current building isn’t big enough.
The new building will have office space, classrooms, dedicated program space, flexible shared community space — including a computer lab — and a high school-sized gymnasium with locker rooms, restrooms and bleachers and a modern kitchen.
The plans also include expanding the childcare program from 20 to 100 kids as part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Unity Commons project at the former site of Cushman Motorworks, a $175 million redevelopment of 16.5 acres at Vine Street and Antelope Valley Parkway led by WRK Real Estate.
The Malone Center is part of a collaborative effort of five community and cultural centers planning to build a shared space as part of the Cushman project, and Malone would build a new 7,300-foot childcare facility there.
Goodwin said the childcare program follows the Educare model created by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, and if the new Malone Center building is done before the redevelopment of the Cushman property, they’ll house the expanded childcare program at the new Malone Center building.
The Malone Center — as well as the cultural center collaborative — are in the early stages of two capital campaigns. Both received grants of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The Malone Center got a $1.5 million grant and has raised another $2.5 million so far.
Goodwin said he’s confident they’ll raise the money. Demolition is expected to begin next year, with the new building opening by the end of 2025.
The new center is important, he said, to help fulfill the organization's legacy: Helping young people find their gifts that they can use to contribute to the community.
“Malone introduces youth to a culture rooted in success — one where they try new things and see themselves prosperous and thriving,†he said.
The Malone Community Center at 2032 U St. has been there since 1982. Leaders are planning to demolish it and build a larger, three-story center on the same spot.