Too Much Talent Community Center Project Unanimously Approved Despite Neighborhood Concerns

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud City Council gave Too Much Talent the green light Monday night to turn a 14,000-square-foot former industrial building into a community center.

The building is in the 1400 block of 5th Street North. Four neighbors spoke against the project during a public hearing. One of them was James Schwartz. He lives nearby and presented a petition with over 50 signatures of people opposed to rezoning the lot for it.

He and his neighbors are concerned about parking issues, noise, possible trespassers, and the fear of property values dropping if the center is approved. He told KNSI News he’s upset with the council for allowing it to move forward and felt his concerns were valid, but it was disregarded. “They [the council] voted everything in on the merits of whether or not we should teach our kids or not. If their kids should be abandoned or not. That was what the vote was up there. It had nothing to do with what it was doing to the neighborhood. Not one of them cared.”

Schwartz says he agrees with TMT’s mission but thinks the city made a mistake allowing it in his neighborhood. “The only thing that is open to us now is to try to make that outfit work 100%. Give it 100% of our backing. However, the city just made enemies.”

Eight people spoke in favor of the new community center, and it was approved unanimously.

TMT said it has been looking for a home for years as it had outgrown several smaller locations across the city and needed a permanent home. The building will now have plenty of space for the 40 kids in its programs.

KNSI News caught up to founder Lenora Hunt after the approval and said she was overjoyed with the council’s decision. “We’re feeling great! Excited. Especially for these kids and a community. And what they expect is us going out and cleaning up the community and working together.”

TMT will spend the next few years applying for grants and fundraising to make the community center come alive. The nonprofit provides after-school tutoring, plus activities like dance, sports, and physical fitness.

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