Katie Harbison, president and CEO of Chambliss Center for Children, told the council on July 1 that the nonprofit has launched a $6.5 million capital campaign to restore and upgrade aging buildings on its Brainerd campus and related housing for youth who age out of foster care. Harbison said Chambliss’s campus buildings date to 1937 and the organization operates licensed child-care space for 483 children on that site.

Harbison said the center has raised the majority of the campaign but requested city support to close the gap and accelerate repairs. “Our main campus buildings…we have leaking roofs and cracked windows and places that aren't as pretty as you would want to take your children,” she said, describing deferred maintenance and programmatic needs. The organization last received city support about 12 years ago, Harbison told council.

Why it matters: Chambliss provides foster-care services, transitional housing and early childhood education; facility upgrades would affect program quality and staff capacity. Harbison asked the council to consider a city contribution similar to prior support and noted the center is accepting up to five-year pledges.

Questions from council were limited in the brief presentation. Harbison and board representatives offered to follow up with more detailed project lists and fundraising materials for council review.

No formal action was taken at the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to inform the council before the agencies’ ARPA requests are considered on the agenda.