Rosemount family center to get facelift

One of the indicators of an inviting home is a warm and welcoming kitchen. But for the Rosemount Family Resource Center, which counselors want to be viewed as a home for individuals going through physical and emotional hardships, the kitchen falls a little short of that image.

The center, 14521 Cimmaron Av. W. in Rosemount, has an old cooking area the state says doesn't meet health standards for a facility serving food to the general public.

But soon the 1,300-square-foot center, operated by the non-profit 360 Communities, will get a much needed facelift.

Last week, the Rosemount City Council picked a contractor to begin renovations, which will include repairing a water leak in an outdoor faucet, replacing damaged drywall and adding commercial kitchen appliances.

The improvements couldn't come soon enough, said Shira Rabinowicz, the volunteer coordinator for 360 Communities at the center.

"Everybody deserves to walk into a place, especially when you are going through hardships, that feels like home," she said.

The city selected Prestige Builders of Minnesota, a building company based in Maple Grove, to lead the project.

The non-profit supplies 500 people a month with food from its food shelf, Rabinowicz said. The organization also directs people to other resources based on their particular needs. The center is host to teen groups, pizza parties and the occasional cooking class, which is where the kitchen comes in.

Recently, the Minnesota Department of Health told the city the kitchen needs work. It will be remodeled with commercial-grade equipment such as a new dishwasher, a stove with a hood, stainless-steel shelving and countertops, multiple sinks and a new microwave. Motion-sensor controls also will be installed in the kitchen, restrooms and multi-use space.

Dan Schultz, parks and recreation director for the city, said the center is deserving of the upgrades. "I think this building is a building that gets a lot of use in this community and serves a greater purpose," Schultz said. Besides improving the look of the center, the changes also will make the building more energy efficient, he said.

The project is expected to use up the allocated funds, but if money set aside for contingencies is not spent, it could go to replace the center's furnace system.

The center is also getting a new playground through separate funding, Schultz said.