Build the Dream at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center On this page is information on the City’s efforts to transform the King Center to a Dream Center at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is a vital part of the West Side of South Bend and supports a wide range of inter-generational programming for a wide community. The City of South Bend seeks to re-envision the building with a new facility and grounds that better serves the modern needs of the community. Opportunities to engage Share your ideas View Community Input Report Attend Public Meetings at the MLK Center (1522 W Linden Ave)! The links to join the online meetings are listed below. If you have difficulty accessing the online meeting, call the MLK Center front desk at 574-235-9445. January 10, 2022 from 6-8pm: Public Workshop Session View the PowerPointWatch the recordingFebruary 10, 2022 from 6-8pm: Public Workshop SessionWatch the recordingMarch 10, 2022 from 6-8pm: Public Workshop SessionWatch the recordingApril 7, 2022 from 6-8pm: Watch the recordingUPDATE: The Public Celebration Presentation has been rescheduled. The April 7th meeting was an additional public input session.May 12, 2022 from 6-8pm: View the PowerPointCelebrate the Dream: Design Concept Unveiling CelebrationWatch the recording In the news: “South Bend’s Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center kick-starting renovations”– ABC57“South Bend reveals design concepts for the renewed Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center” – ABC57 Guiding Principles The guiding principles for the Build the Dream project are: Relevant & impactfulInclusiveExcellentSustainable Read more about these guiding principles here. Learn More Project Overview Meet the Architect Meet the Project Team Community Advisory Group Current Features of the Center Guiding Principles Project Faqs Is the City changing the name of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center? No, the name of the MLK center is not changing. “Build the Dream” is the name of the project. The name of the Center will continue to be the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. Why is the City revitalizing the MLK Center? From his State of the City Address on July 29th, 2021, Mayor Mueller “believes the time is right to transform the King Center to a Dream Center at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. We can build a world-class, intergenerational community center, inspiring hope for us all. This is a concept that will be developed by the community. Resources may include small business incubation, educational opportunities, health resources, recreational activities, technological access, and creative programming. In tandem with the Dream Center’s development, we are taking intentional steps to revitalize the Linden Avenue corridor. Deeper partnerships with community organizations will be critical to the programmatic success of this new center.” Will there be a new building or an addition to the existing building? There will be an entirely new building constructed as part of this project. Adding on to the aging existing building, which was built in 1973, would be problematic and would likely not save any money. The new building will be built to current building codes and modern sustainability practices. We are committed to providing the community with a building with first class quality. Will programming stop during the construction of the new building? All current programming will be continued in other VPA facilities or through partnerships with local organizations. Details will be shared closer to the start of construction. Will the current MLK center staff lose their positions during the construction? All current employees will be retained and will be an integral part of continuing programming, as well as opening and running the new center. Will the new MLK center have new fees? The new MLK center is currently, and will continue to be, a Venues Parks & Arts community center. There will not be a price for admission and most of the programming will be free, just as it is now. Just like current operations, there will be certain camps, activities, and amenities that require fees. Donate Donate and help Build the Dream today ♥