Brian Coyle Center

Let’s Fix Coyle’s Gym and Build the Ahmednur Ali Multipurpose Field! Ask the Park Board (MPRB) to support Currie Park Field and Gym and apply for the Hennepin Youth Sports Funding Now!

Join us at the MPRB Meeting

Wednesday, October 21st at 5:30 pm

2117 West River Road, Minneapolis

For a Ride, Come to the Coyle Center at 5:00 pm

And Call or Email the Park Board Commissioners:

Tom Nordyke, President612-230-6443 ext.

Mary Merrill Anderson, Vice President612-230-6443 ext. 7

Annie Young, Commissioner at large612-230-6443 ext.

Bob Fine, District 6612-230-6443 ext.

Carol Kummer, District 5612-230-6443 ext.

Tracy Nordstrom, District 4612-230-6443 ext.

Scott Vreeland, District 3612-230-6443 ext.

Jon Olson, District 2612-230-6443 ext

Walt Dziedzic, District 1612-230-6443 ext

• The Use is High. Coyle Center and Currie Park serve a diverse community and visitors from throughout the metro area, Minnesota, Nationally and Internationally. Numerous soccer leagues, football players, basketball teams, families and youth, organizations and the Cedar Riverside Community School use the gym and park.

• The Need is Great. The Cedar Riverside Neighborhood has a median household income of just $14,367 a year, a 42% poverty rate, and the highest density of family subsidized housing in the metro area, with 4,000 people living across the street from Currie Park; 1,200 under age 18. A significant amount of public attention has been given to growing violence among East African youth, and Cedar Riverside stakeholders are making every effort to support kids to prevent future violence and have a safe neighborhood for everyone.

• The Space is Deficient. The heavily utilized gym and park have fallen into a state of disrepair, creating safety hazards for all users. Community nonprofits located at Coyle have struggled to pay for costs to keep the gym open in recent years (due to Park Board disinvestment) at the expense of programs, staffing, and building security.

• The Community is Ready. Community residents and stakeholders in 2009 came together to develop expansion plans for the Coyle Center and recommend improvements to the gym and Currie Park, including the Ahmednur Ali Memorial Field. Architectural designs and cost estimates have been completed.

• The Time is Now. A capital campaign is underway to raise funds for major improvements and expansion. Two resources available now for the gym have application deadlines in the next two weeks and could leverage a $500,000 for this project. If approved, the gym improvements and field could be done by spring of 2010.

• We need your support. Since the Coyle Center’s inception, MPRB has been contractually obligated to pay all maintenance and programmatic expense for these sites. Call your Park Board commissioner now and tell them it’s time to reinvest in the Coyle Center gym and Currie Park!!!!!

Contact Amina Harun for Somali at 612-876-9354 or Jennifer Blevins at 612-876-9325 for info.