For the City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The John E. Alexander South Wood County YMCA has been honored as the “2019 Community Development of the Year” from the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credit.

Each year, the national awards recognize community development organizations that have made exceptional contributions to their communities. The YMCA received the Community Development Qualified Low-Income Community Investment (QLICI) Award in the non-metro category. Cinnaire and Mid City, in partnership with Chase, provided $3.8 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investments to help support the project.

With a mission to address the challenges and needs facing Wisconsin Rapids, the South Wood YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of Wisconsin Rapids Area collaboration has transformed the vacant downtown mall and nearby vacant parcels into a 95,000-square foot facility featuring services provided by the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The project broke ground in August 2018 and is anticipated to open in the spring of 2020.

“The Novogradac awards highlight projects that are providing social services to people in need while spurring community revitalization and economic development in distressed communities,” said Mark McDaniel, Cinnaire president & CEO. “The South Wood County YMCA exemplifies the extraordinary benefits the new markets tax credit program brings to low-income communities. The new facility would not have been possible without the critical financing provided by the new market tax credit allocation.”

Designed to accommodate the program needs of the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Veterans Clinic, the new facility  will provide a teen center, computer labs, learning center, study lounge, music/drama room, arts classroom, aquatics center, teaching kitchen, childcare center, gymnasium, and more. The entire campus for the new site includes a Department of Veterans Affairs Community-based outpatient clinic that is located between the YMCA and Centralia Center with access into the YMCA.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2020.