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Imani Center asks St. Helens for financial and fee relief as it plans new child-abuse assessment center
Summary
Columbia County’s Imani Center presented plans for an $5.2 million, 8,000-square-foot facility on McNulty and Industrial Way and asked the city to consider fee relief or direct support as it pursues grants and fundraising.
Deputy director, Imani Center, told the St. Helens City Council on April 16 that the nonprofit has secured a conditional-use permit and owns a parcel at McNulty and Industrial Way where it intends to build an 8,000-square-foot child abuse assessment and mental-health center.
The presentation said the full project cost is $5,200,000 and that the center — which provides medical evaluations, forensic interviews and victim advocacy — currently operates from a roughly 3,000-square-foot space and expects to double capacity with the new building. The deputy director said, “Right now, we can see about 250 to 300 kids a year at maximum capacity. This will double our capacity.”
The Imani Center representative outlined funding gaps and recent setbacks in federal support, saying the agency lost about $1.2 million in congressionally directed funding earlier this year because of a continuing resolution and must reapply to recover it. She said the center currently receives roughly 17–20% of its funding from the state and historically about 30% from federal sources, funding that is “kind of up in the air right now.”
The center asked the city to consider ways to support the project, including permit- or fee-relief, use of discretionary funds, or identifying ARPA or other grant opportunities. The deputy director said the Imani Center receives no money from the city and that families are not charged directly for services: “It costs over $5,200 for us to see a child. They are not charged for that.”
Council members and staff discussed existing small community grant programs and the city’s discretionary sponsorship opportunities. John, the city administrator, suggested the center apply to the community grant program and noted the city has in some past cases waived system development charges for nonprofit housing or Habitat-type projects, though he said such waivers must be funded from other sources.
Councilor comments urged staff to consider the request, and one councilor encouraged the center to apply for the city’s community grant program while staff also offered to identify potential sponsorship opportunities tied to city events.
The deputy director said the project team has shovel-ready plans, that fundraising is ongoing, and that they hoped to break ground in summer if permitting and financing come together. The presentation noted the center has recently launched a trauma-informed mental-health program and hired a prevention coordinator, partly supported by county and CCO funds.
The council did not vote on the request during the work session; staff indicated the item would be tracked for potential budget or fee-relief consideration and advised the center to pursue grant applications and formal requests through staff channels.
