Donors Pledge $15M To Help Detroit Recreation Centers
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says the financially struggling city has secured $15 million from outside donors to keep 17 recreation centers open.
Bing announced his recreation plan Wednesday with a goal to raise $24 million to pay for three years of programming.
Donors include automotive supplier Lear Corp., which has pledged $5 million during a 10-year period, and General Motors, which has committed $2 million.
The Bing administration is in talks to create a new Detroit Recreation Trust that city officials believe would reduce costs, improve programming and help to maintain and disperse the money raised from outside sources, The Detroit News reported. Money pledged to the trust can be used only for programming and won't be part of the general fund.
The city currently pays about $20 million to operate the centers and aims to cut that amount to $10 million.
Before a consent agreement was reached with the state, Detroit was on course to be more than $400 million in debt, and was reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy.
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