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Flagstaff council approves MOU with Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff to advance community cultural center
Summary
The council unanimously approved an MOU with the Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff to collaborate on planning, fundraising and interim uses for a proposed Indigenous Community Cultural Center on an 8-acre site; ICF will lead programming and fundraising while the city supports planning and limited interim uses.
The Flagstaff City Council voted May 5 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff (ICF) to jointly plan and develop an Indigenous Community Cultural Center (ICCC).
Rose Tohi, the city’s Indigenous affairs administrator, presented the MOU and a short slide history of decades-long community conversations. She said six public forums in 2016–2017 yielded recommendations that the council accepted in October 2017 and that subsequent design work produced a final concept approved by council in December 2022. Tohi told council that ICF was identified through a Request for Statement of Qualifications process as the nonprofit key partner and that ICF will lead visioning, fundraising, programming and interim uses while the city will collaborate on planning, design input and limited capital expenditures.
ICF representatives described the site as an 8-acre parcel and said the interim plan could include outdoor community spaces and farmer-market–style events while renovation of the fleet management building proceeds. Council members praised the long community engagement process and the MOU’s intent to preserve cultural and natural character: Council Member House framed the step as moving “from land acknowledgement to land action,” and Council Member Garcia said he hopes the site remains largely natural and can serve as a living place for cultural transmission.
Council moved to authorize the city manager to execute the MOU; the motion carried on a voice vote. The MOU authorizes collaboration on planning, preliminary repairs, fundraising coordination (ICF to lead with city assistance), and the possibility of earmarked city funds (staff noted a $200,000 placeholder in the project budget for preliminary expenses). ICF will pursue fundraising and organizational development to manage operations, while the city will coordinate regarding any use of city funds or property for interim activities.
The council did not adopt binding construction documents or a final budget at the meeting; staff said details on lease/occupancy (lease, license or other), final fundraising benchmarks and renovation timelines will return to council as the project advances. Council members encouraged ongoing outreach and pledged continued support.
What’s next: staff will work with ICF to finalize occupancy documents and a phased timeline for fundraising, building repairs and program launches; donors have indicated they will release funds after the MOU is approved, according to staff.
