Mayor Andy Berke announces new $6 million Youth & Family development center for Avondale

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks before the march.  A prayer vigil and community walk was held Monday May 2, 2016 at Coolidge Park and the Walnut Street Bridge to stand against the recent outbreak of violence in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks before the march. A prayer vigil and community walk was held Monday May 2, 2016 at Coolidge Park and the Walnut Street Bridge to stand against the recent outbreak of violence in Chattanooga.

Mayor Andy Berke has announced a new $6 million Youth and Family Development Center for Avondale.

Berke says the new center will double the size of the current Youth and Family Development Center.

The new center is planned for fall of 2017, and will be in the 2016-2017 budget proposal.

Previous calls for an expansion of the Avondale center "fell on deaf ears," said city councilman Moses Freeman, but the new center signifies "a new beginning" for the neighborhood.

Berke's announcement comes just two days after a fiery speech by Kevin Muhammad on behalf of a coalition of concerned citizen groups, who called for alternatives to the mayor's plan to spend $1 million in additional funds on public safety.

This is a developing story, stick with the Times Free Press for more information.

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