Veto doesn't dim prospects for Discovery Center

Jul. 7—The loss of $1 million is nothing to sneeze at, but it isn't causing panic for those developing a Children's Discovery Center in Downtown St. Joseph.

Work continued Friday at the Plymouth Building, a week after Gov. Mike Parson vetoed $1 million in state funding for the Discovery Center that the Mosaic Life Care Foundation is building in St. Joseph.

"Construction is underway," said Julie Gaddie, president of the Mosaic Life Care Foundation. "It's an exciting time for St. Joseph to see this project come together."

Tama Wagner, director of the St. Joseph Community Alliance, worked closely with local lawmakers to secure state funding that was added to the supplemental budget and ultimately vetoed. She has no concerns about the Mosaic Foundation's ability to keep the Discovery Center moving forward.

"The Discovery Center is doing a great job of raising money," she said. "I think they're at 92% of their construction goal. They'll find the funding somewhere. It just wasn't the right time in the governor's budget."

Gaddie said it's unfortunate the state funding didn't come together, but she said the foundation has raised more than $17 million of the $19 million needed to develop the center in the Plymouth Building, which is located at Sixth and Felix streets.

Contributors include local government, Mosaic Life Care, the Mosaic Foundation, trusts and private donors. The city contributed $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, plus another $1.5 million for adjacent street and infrastructure improvements.

In all, between 30 and 40 entities have contributed, Gaddie said. Even with the loss of funding from the state, the foundation still pushes forward with plans to complete the Discovery Center by late 2024.

"We're exploring funding sources and we're excited that folks around the region see this as a way to propel our community forward and focus on young families," Gaddie said. "We really are committed to our timeline."

Parson's action on the Discovery Center was one of 201 line-item vetoes totaling $555 million. His veto messages tended to include boilerplate statements on fiscal responsibility, but he did describe the Discovery Center as a project of limited statewide impact.

However, Gaddie said the impact will extend beyond the confines of Downtown St. Joseph. She said the exhibits and activities for children up to age 10 will prove transformational for developing Downtown and getting young families to consider St. Joseph as a place to live.

"We know we're in a global competition for talent," she said. "Our partners and our community see this as a way for us to respond to that, to become a place for people not only to work but for those who are shopping for a place to live."

Greg Kozol can be reached at greg.kozol@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowKozol.