KFOR: Family Justice Center proposes plan to build community center with MAPS 4 money
By Emily Akins
Published: July 9, 2019
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OKLAHOMA CITY – “It just creeps in and the next thing you know you`re lying on the floor, and his hands are around your neck and he`s kicking you,” said one domestic abuse survivor.
“There is a need in our community that`s not being met, and we are hoping that the city will help support us in our vision,” said Palomar CEO Kim Garrett.
It’s a vision that was supported Tuesday by many different people.
A packed city council chambers, full of supporters in purple shirts, all hoping that money from the MAPS 4 project goes toward Palomar, Oklahoma City’s Family Justice Center.
“We presented to city council a request for MAPS 4 proposal, a $37 million request from the city, to help build a community healing and restoration center to help victims of violent crime,” said Garrett.
Garrett presented the city council with numbers and facts, to show how important these issues are and how necessary a new facility is.
“We`ve helped everybody in our community from lawyers to politicians, to people that are homeless and everybody in between,” she said, “We`ve had 24,000 visits in just two and a half years since we`ve been open. The demand exceeded anybody`s expectation.”
The proposed 80-thousand square foot facility would include medical services, robust childcare, a trauma and healing center, a chapel, and much more.
“A building for Palomar, the building that they`re currently in was always anticipated to be a short term solution,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.
Survivors bravely speaking, emphasizing the importance of what this new facility could bring.
“It can make a city where you`re safe to go on the trails, where your safe to ride bikes, where your safe to go to parks and you don`t worry about being abused. You have the opportunity, and I`m asking that you ensure that Palomar is included in MAPS 4.”
There are a total of 16 presentations.
City staff tells us voting should be sometime in December.