Transcript:
A building where the rock star Prince once went to school is now becoming a place where people can go for help during emergencies.
The building in South Minneapolis is no longer a school. Today, it houses the Sabathani Community Center, which has a food bank, senior activities, green job training, and other programs.
Balyan: “They’ve been doing a lot of great services … so they really are, like, the heart of South Minneapolis.”
Bharat Balyan works for the City of Minneapolis and is helping Sabathani become what’s known as a resilience hub.
The center is adding a geothermal heating and cooling system. And with support from the utility Xcel Energy, it’s installing solar panels and batteries.
Most of the time, the system will send solar energy to the power grid. But if the grid goes down during a storm or other disaster, the solar and battery system will provide power directly to Sabathani.
So residents can go there to charge phones and medical devices, and shelter from dangerous heat or cold.
And afterward, Sabathani will be a place where people can get information about recovery programs and services.
Balyan: “So that’s really a big thing that we’re looking forward to, like, having that trusted place they can really go.”
So people in South Minneapolis can stay safe as climate change causes more extreme weather.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media / Thanks to the Midwest Climate Resilience Conference for logistical support.
