Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
After three years of having Haskell Community Center closed, Flint area community members can look forward to the center’s reopening!
On Saturday, September 20, a dedication ceremony and event will take place at Haskell. The event will feature family-friendly activities and food, as well as the presence of local organizations.
At a September 2 press conference, Mayor Sheldon Neeley talked about the fact the City has revitalized the football field at Haskell. The football field will be dedicated in honor of Glen Kelly, who coached athletes in the Flint area, including Andre Rison and Mark Ingram, who both became NFL Super Bowl champions.
According to Neeley, the first games will be played on field on September 21.
He said he was particularly excited that lacrosse would be offered at the center because he said the sport was not typically offered in communities of color.
Neeley stated the City of Flint is now working on finishing renovations of the interior of Haskell.
He told the Courier a lot of the funds being used for the revitalization came from philanthropic donations.
Neeley stated: “We want to thank the police foundation for putting a level of dollars into this. Most of this – about 90% – came from philanthropic donations. We want to continue to secure those level of donations. For anyone who would like to be a sponsor for the sports field, that will be awesome for us to have that level of sponsorship and for them to be a part of what’s going on inside the city of Flint.”
Kay Smith pointed out the center would be a “west side hub” for not only for the youth, but seniors and families living in the area.
Haskell will house the Police Athletic League. The League is a part of the Flint Police Department. Its mission is to reduce juvenile crime by providing athletic programming, while enhancing their relationships with local law enforcement.
Detective Tyrone Booth with the City of Flint Police Department said there would always be break-ins and vandalism, though the Flint Police don’t always see it all the time in the space.
Booth added: “That will decrease more because the presence of police decreases criminal activity. So, as this building (Haskell) is live with activities and police officers, just based off the fact they’ll be in the area, crime will decrease.”
Haskell was built 101 years ago.
Rev. Robert Sherman McCathern of Joy Tabernacle, which is just around the corner from Haskell, is also executive director of the Urban Renaissance Center.
“With the revitalization of this area, a lot has been invested by Land Bank, who have invested, along with us, $2.6 million to clean the space and make it attractive to investors to come back to and really strengthen the community,” said McCathern.
McCathern shared his belief that many people engage in negative activity in part because of to the closing of schools and the strict academic requirements now required to play sports. He hopes Haskell will be a place for everyone in the community to enjoy.
“People talk about Haskell with a fondness, and we hope that fondness will come back in the hearts of people.”
Haskell Community Center is located at 2201 Forest Hill Ave., in Flint.
