Chandler deal to get more space for ICAN

Major city government building projects like the new City Hall in downtown Chandler have left the space-deprived nonprofit Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods, which mentors at-risk youth, without room to grow.

However, a deal is in the works where Chandler would take over ICAN’s existing 6,000-square-foot building at 201 S. Washington St. In exchange, the city would pay the group more than $1 million and give them 2.5 acres of public park land to build a new, 20,000-square-foot facility.

Christy McClendon, ICAN executive director, said that on average, the nonprofit group serves about 140 children living in and around the downtown area per day. The group provides a place for the youth to play, as well as teaches them about avoiding gangs and drugs, and how to live a healthy lifestyle.

ICAN’s existing headquarters is surrounded by several large government buildings, including the San Tan Regional Court Center and the Chandler Police Department headquarters.

Chandler’s new $76 million City Hall is under construction just next door to the west, and is expected to be done by the end of 2010.

McClendon said the several nearby government construction and expansion projects have left ICAN without space to expand. The number of children attending ICAN has grown 280 percent over the last three years, and the existing facility serves about as many as it can handle, she said.

“We’ve already pretty much exceeded our capacity in our current facility,” McClendon said. “We just turned our last storage room into offices and programming.”

ICAN accepts children from anywhere in Chandler, but targets youth ages 5 to 18 in low-income neighborhoods in the downtown redevelopment area, bounded by Ray, Pecos, Alma School and McQueen roads, she said.

Late last month, the City Council issued a “letter of intent” to take over the ICAN property, while giving the group 2.5 acres at the south end of Folley Park, southeast of Frye Road and Hamilton Street, on which to build a new building.

“The City believes that the services provided by ICAN in working with at-risk youth is of significant benefit to the community,” according to the letter, from City Manager Mark Pentz.

City officials have appraised the value of ICAN’s existing property at more than $1 million. However, the park land the city plans to give up is valued at only about $285,000, according to the letter.

The agreement calls on Chandler to give ICAN an additional $1.15 million to make up the difference, and to help the group on its way to funding the new structure.

McClendon said ICAN doesn’t have a budget yet for the new building, and it’s hard to tell right now how much the group will need in donations to meet its goal. The City Council could give final approval to the deal by the end of the year.

However, it likely will take three to five years for ICAN to raise enough in donations to build its new facility, McClendon said. The agreement also would require ICAN to continue serving Chandler youth on the new site for at least 25 years.

Rich Dlugas, an assistant city manager, said Chandler as yet has no plans for the building that ICAN would vacate.