The City of Racine held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to celebrate the start of construction for a community and health center that will provide holistic care for underserved populations.
The Lincoln-King Community Center and Health Center, located at 1014 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Racine, will open in 2026. The $68 million project aims to improve public health and well-being in the surrounding neighborhoods, particularly through increasing health care accessibility to people of color, according to the city’s Wednesday news release.
The health clinic will offer medical, dental and mental health services, while the community center will have a gymnasium, fitness center and a space to support Julian Thomas Elementary School, according to the news release.
More than 24,000 residents would qualify for its services. According to the news release, 61.7% of the Lincoln-King neighborhood residents are people of color and 41% live below the poverty line.
The Lincoln-King Community Center and Health Center will serve as a federally qualified health center, which is a federally-funded nonprofit clinic that treats underserved communities. According to the news release, Racine is the largest city in the Midwest without a FQHC.
The City of Racine has received a mix of federal and state funds, private donations and local resources to support the cost of the project, according to the news release. This includes a $20 million grant through the state Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Lincoln-King project “will receive enhanced federal incentives by paying the prevailing wage, utilizing apprentices and using American-made components,” according to the news release. The project will also receive federal funding for implementing clean energy technologies.
“This is a project that truly reflects our values,” Racine Mayor Cory Mason said in the news release. “It invests space for much-needed health care, creates good-paying union jobs, and honors our commitment to meeting our sustainability goals, all while helping to address disparities and deliver in the community that needs it the most.”
