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Samaritan Center seeks $22.15 million for building repairs and life‑safety upgrades
Summary
SAR Metro Detroit asked for $22,150,000 to address immediate capital needs — cooling towers, roof repairs and fire‑alarm upgrades — at the Samaritan Center, a community resource hub that houses dozens of social‑service tenants and serves more than 150,000 visits annually.
Representatives of SAR Metro Detroit (the Samaritan Center) asked the subcommittee for $22,150,000 in capital funds to repair critical infrastructure at a multipartner community resource center that houses more than 80 tenant partners, health clinics, a senior assisted‑living unit and education programs.
Eva Garza DeWalsh, president and CEO of SAR Metro, described a facility that draws roughly 150,000 visits annually, hosts about 500 employees across tenant partners, and delivers food, health, workforce and childcare services in a high‑need area on Detroit’s east side. Anne Lean, assistant vice president, said the requested appropriation would cover one‑time infrastructure work including cooling tower replacement, roof repairs and fire alarm upgrades. Lean told the committee the broader capital plan exceeds $8 million and that the organization is pursuing a multi‑year capital fundraising strategy.
Committee members questioned whether the request covered only hard infrastructure costs and whether the center had sought other grants; presenters said the appropriation is targeted to the enumerated capital items and that the facility’s long‑term operations are sustained by rent from tenant partners and other philanthropic and public funding sources.
No vote was held during the hearing. Testimony emphasized the center’s role as a coordinated site for health care, workforce training and food access in a transport‑challenged neighborhood.
