Milwaukee, WI
We're Building The
United States' First 100% Accessible Inclusive Equitable Community Center
Through mentoring, education, wellness, athletics, and mental health, The Opportunity Center will collaboratively offer programs to build Greater Milwaukee resident’s quality of life.
An intentionally reimagined community center.
The Opportunity Center is in alignment with both the City and County’s visions to address the existing inequities in Milwaukee – from disability to poverty to segregation – to create a healthier and more active community through partnerships between the City and non-governmental organizations.
The Opportunity Center will offer everyone an equitable chance to achieve physical and mental health and create a strong foundation that will improve both the individual and the collective.
The Opportunity Center is focused on engaging low-to-moderate income underserved youth and elderly of all abilities through a convenient, centralized location that offers recreational, social, and wellness opportunities.
Physical Activity
By providing a venue for athletics, TOC provides youth with a roadmap to a brighter and more successful future with the support necessary to be active, excel in the classroom and in life.
Mental Health
TOC will collaboratively partner with people in the area to offer mentoring, education, wellness, athletics, and mental health programs to improve Milwaukee’s quality of life.
Mentoring & Counseling
TOC will partner with area nonprofit organizations to offer students mentoring, tutoring and financial literacy programs.
The Social Impact
TOC’s supportive programs are developed with considerable reflection upon the community being served and will aim to have a role in reducing the increasing youth crime rates in Milwaukee
Our mission
To improve the health and well-being of all participants by empowering them to develop the physical, social, and emotional skills that define healthy, resilient, and socially responsible citizens.
Our Vision
To reach individuals of all ages and abilities through a variety of programs that will directly and indirectly address many of the societal issues facing the city, its neighborhoods, and its residents.
Our Goal
To transform Milwaukee into a more equitable region through education, sport, and inclusion.
Why We’re Building The Opportunity Center
The Opportunity Center is in alignment with both the City and County’s visions to address the existing inequities in Milwaukee – from disability to poverty to segregation – to create a healthier and more active community through partnerships between the City and non-governmental organizations.
of children from homes earning $25k play sports vs. 45.5% from $100k+ homes.
of Children FROM low-income homes ARE more likely to drop out Of sports for financial reasons
People in SE WI Report A
DISABILITY. 123K people in
MKE Report a disability
Milwaukee has the highest poverty rate in the state of Wisconsin
Older adults fall each YEAR resulting in more than 32,000 Deaths
MPS Graduation rate vs.
97% in Ozaukee county
& 89% AVG in Wisconsin
Milwaukee County’s rank
in health factors & outcomes out of 72 Wisconsin Counties
Physical Activity &
Mental Health
Providing access to recreational and athletic opportunities is vital to the short-term and long-term physical and mental health of Milwaukee’s youth. The experiences gained from participating in team sports creates a strong foundation that impacts academic achievement, strengthens socialization skills, and can be a determinant of life-long success.
Additionally, providing adults with the opportunity to remain physically active and mentally stimulated benefits them and those who love them and rely upon them.
equity, accessibility, and quality of life
The Opportunity Center will reduce and/or eliminate finances as a barrier to participation by offering scholarships to individuals and families to use the facility. Through the income from sports tourism and facility rentals combined with the organization’s endowment fund, The Opportunity Center will have the capacity to waive or decrease membership fees, thereby ensuring that anyone is able to participate in programming.
In addition to recreation facilities, The Opportunity Center will partner with other non-profit organizations to extend their programming to residents on the far north side of the city.
Unlike any other fitness or athletic gym
The Opportunity Center will be specifically designed for the unique needs of people with disabilities. As a building without obstacles, the facility will have truly accessible bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. The building will feature extra-wide doorways (or none at all), lower counters, automatic doors, Braille, color contracts, adaptive equipment, accessible equipment and more.
It will not be “ADA compliant” – it will be UNIVERSAL. For the first time, everyBODY can recreate, compete, be active and have equal opportunity to be fit, healthy, and play together at The Opportunity Center.
The Annual Impact
The Opportunity Center is in alignment with both the City and County’s visions to address the existing inequities in Milwaukee – from disability to poverty to segregation – to create a healthier and more active community through partnerships between the City and non-governmental organizations.
Tourism
involvement
funded
Tourism
Once The Opportunity Center is open to the public, the projected annual impact includes:
● 1,000 scholarships to individuals and families to participate with no fees
● 100,000 mission visits
● 1,000,000 total visitors
involvement
An upcoming objective that will drive the heart of this project are the community listening sessions. Neighborhood residents will be provided multiple opportunities to share their desires for programming, address issues related to access, transportation, hours of operation, and more. These wishes will help drive the programming to be offered at The Opportunity Center.
funded
The Daniel M. Soref Charitable Trust has provided a generous grant of $500,000 towards the planning and construction of the Opportunity Center. In addition, the Board of Directors has identified ten foundations with interest in our project and the capacity to provide matching funds to assist The Opportunity Center in reaching its pre-development needs of $5,489,500 that will support operating and planning efforts between today and ribbon-cutting.
We will see transformation throughout Milwaukee in the coming years. I’m not talking just about landmarks and high-rise buildings. I’m talking about the addition of good paying jobs, new investments in city neighborhoods, improvements in public infrastructure, and a transformation in spirit – a sense of optimism that we can solve problems, we can build on Milwaukee’s quality of life, and we can give our children and grandchildren a future that we will all be proud of.
It’s long been understood that sport promotes children’s health, and physical development, but now we have solid evidence to suggest that sport can have a powerful impact on their overall education and life skills development. We must use this evidence to inspire investment in sports for children, especially the most vulnerable.
We will see transformation throughout Milwaukee in the coming years. I’m not talking just about landmarks and high-rise buildings. I’m talking about the addition of good paying jobs, new investments in city neighborhoods, improvements in public infrastructure, and a transformation in spirit – a sense of optimism that we can solve problems, we can build on Milwaukee’s quality of life, and we can give our children and grandchildren a future that we will all be proud of.
– Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Inaugural Address, April 13, 2022
It’s long been understood that sport promotes children’s health, and physical development, but now we have solid evidence to suggest that sport can have a powerful impact on their overall education and life skills development. We must use this evidence to inspire investment in sports for children, especially the most vulnerable.
– Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, UNICEF
Latest News & Stories
The Opportunity Center is in alignment with both the City and County’s visions to address the existing inequities in Milwaukee – from disability to poverty to segregation – to create a healthier and more active community through partnerships between the City and non-governmental organizations.
An $80 million urban sports complex proposed for Milwaukee’s…
An $80 million urban sports complex proposed for Milwaukee’s north side has landed a $5 million grant and named a new president.
Milwaukee nonprofit leaders planning…
An $80 million multi-sport facility is planned for Milwaukee’s north side that is designed to serve people across the spectrum of ability and income levels.
An urban sports complex is being proposed for…
An urban sports complex is being proposed for a 22-acre site on Milwaukee’s north side, just west of Interstate 43…
VIDEO: Tuesday Luncheon — Damian Buchman & Frank Cumberbatch
Damian and Frank will share how their passion for service to others…
New urban multi-sports complex planned for Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE — As a two-time survivor of childhood bone cancer…
Contact Us
Guided by their life experiences & blessings; Founders Damian and Frank are simply honored to deliver an equitable and inclusive “opportunity” to ALL.
Meet The Team
The Opportunity Center has acquired 22 acres of developable land, received its 501c3 status, established a Board of Directors, hired an Executive Director and starting staff
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