An artist’s rendering of the proposed PAL Community Center on Chestnut Street in Auburn. City of Auburn illustration
AUBURN — The effort to build a new Police Activities League Community Center in the city received a $3 million boost Thursday from the federal omnibus spending package approved by the U.S. Senate.
The massive bill also includes significant funds for 11 other projects in Androscoggin County.
Earlier this year, Auburn allocated $3 million from its share of the American Rescue Plan Act toward the estimated $8.6 million project. Officials hope the new, 17,000-square-foot PAL Center will take shape over the next two years at its location on Chestnut Street.
Announcing the funding Thursday, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said, “For nearly a decade, the PAL Center in Auburn has provided children in Auburn with a safe, structured environment to play and learn after school; receive food, clothes, and school supplies; and build relationships with law enforcement officers who protect the local community.”
“This funding will allow the center to build on its success and expand its programming to serve even more children in the surrounding neighborhood,” she said.
According to a news release, the new PAL Community Center will become “the hub for mentored/supervised after-school and summer activities,” offering an early childhood education and child care program, health center, teen center, gym, and commercial kitchen and food pantry.
Officials have said the current building has “far exceeded” its capacity to offer programming. Its current capacity is 43 people, but the center serves nearly twice that daily, staff has said.
Carter Gelineau, 11, left, and Nathan Hudon, 12, visit the PAL Center in Auburn in April. The program offers after-school activities for at-risk children in the area. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
“For nearly 10 years, the Auburn PAL Center has been changing young lives, and we are so proud,” Auburn City Manager Phil Crowell said. “PAL was born from our desire to not only help kids and families in our community, but also to transform crime statistics in the heart of our city. It is a truly remarkable place.”
Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque added that the city is “grateful that Sen. Collins understands that this significant investment in our youth will be an important step toward ensuring that kids in Auburn have opportunities to improve their lives and enrich our community.”
City leaders unveiled preliminary designs late last year after partnering with engineering firms Woodard & Curran and Simons Architects, both of Portland.
The spending bill is expected to be passed by the House before heading to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
Also included in the bill are significant amounts of money for several other projects in the Twin Cities, including:
• $925,000 for the YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston toward an all-weather pavilion and multiuse facility at the YMCA’s 95-acre outdoor learning center in Auburn. CEO Steven Wallace said the 6,000-square-foot pavilion at the center on Stetson Road “will dramatically increase the impact the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA can have all year long,” including summer camp and winter programs.
• $2 million for an expansion of B-Street Community Clinical Services in Lewiston. According to the release, the funds will support “facilities improvement and equipment needs to expand capacity for medical, mental health, and dental care services.”
• $979,000 for Lewiston’s canal and riverwalk trail, part of the city’s riverfront island master plan. Officials have said the new section of trail would likely help with the redevelopment of the 650,000-square-foot Continental Mill and improve connections for downtown residents.
• $4 million to the Lewiston Housing Authority toward its plan of creating the St. Mary’s Intergenerational Center, a facility to co-locate senior housing, child care, health care and social services in partnership with St. Mary’s Hospital.
• $1.5 million to SeniorsPlus toward a proposed facility to house a new Meals on Wheels kitchen serving Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties, as well as an Education Center.
• $1 million toward the Lisbon Street Fire Station project in Lewiston.
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