Quincy supports school grant

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council is supporting a school district grant application to build a new fitness center.

The vote came during a recent city council meeting, after Matt Tait, the district’s physical education program grant coordinator, asked for the city’s support on a Gates Foundation Grant.

The center is part of a plan funded by a $462,812 federal grant. The district presently has $50,000 in the budget for the project, and expects to add at least another $25,000 to it.

“The Quincy School District is in the initial planning stage of this project and would like to be able to visit all possible options that will best serve the students and the community,” Tait wrote to the council. “Part of the initial planning involves researching possible funding solutions to construct an entirely new facility for the fitness center.”

A Gates Foundation Grant will fund up to 20 percent of the entire project cost, Tait stated. The school district intends to fund part of the project as well.

“The first step in the Gates Foundation process involves a letter of inquiry that will outline the project budget, ideas and goals,” he stated. “With this inquiry, the Quincy School District needs to show that significant community partnerships will evolve from the funding provided.”

Mayor Jim Hemberry said the district wants to show the city will use the center as part of its recreation program.

“So our rec director would coordinate the programming there and the scheduling, and we would look at running some after school fitness classes, or at least if we did any of those programs we would use their facility,” he said.

The community partnership and a long-term use agreement are important pieces to the grant writing process, Tait explained in his letter.

The center is expected to be 60 feet by 100 feet and to be used primarily during the school day. Plans call for a cardio area and an open space designated for functional training and exercise classes.