Brianna Allen, executive director of the Tolleson Center for Community Excellence, told the Elkhart City Council the reimagined center has 4,000 members, serves a broad age range and is planning a $3.1 million package of outdoor amenities.

Allen said the center’s customer-relationship database captures membership and attendance. She reported roughly 4,000 members, with about 3,800 coming from nearby ZIP codes 46514, 46516 and 46517. She provided demographic percentages for the membership: about 53% African American, 14% Hispanic, 19% white and 14% other; roughly 51% female and 48% male; and said 53% of members are under 18. Allen said the Tolleson Center averages about 200 visits per day and works with more than 35 program partners, including Goshen College, Real Services, the Elkhart Federal Credit Union, Elkhart Parks and Recreation, the Elkhart Public Library, Elkhart Police Department, YWCA and Elkhart Community Schools.

On staffing and operations, Allen said the center employs 17 people (three full time and 14 part time). She described phase 2 of the Tolleson project as outdoor amenities that would include a synthetic turf soccer field with lighting, basketball and pickleball courts, an accessible playground and an outdoor restroom/storage structure; she stated an estimated cost of $3,100,000 and that the center is “looking very good” to cover that cost in full. Allen also announced a Feb. 14 fundraiser at the Tolleson Center, the "Fall in Love with Tolleson Soirée," with a fundraising goal of about $40,000 to support operations.

During questions, a councilmember noted the city provides $700,000 a year toward operational overhead and asked for a report showing Tolleson’s total operational costs for 2024, reserves and projected revenue for 2025. Mayor and other council members said budget details and board-level materials exist and should be placed in the council packet so members can review them monthly; city leadership indicated they can provide the requested figures.

Mayor remarked that the Tolleson Center received a state-level Program Innovation award from AIM (for its class/size category) and praised the center’s role in the Benham neighborhood redevelopment effort. Council members and staff emphasized the center’s collaborative partnerships and its potential as a neighborhood catalyst.