MINNEAPOLIS — V3 Center sits on the corner of Lyndale and Plymouth Avenues in north Minneapolis. It's a 40,000 square foot multipurpose activity space.
“I'm so excited," V3 Sports Founding Director Erika Binger said. "We've been waiting for this for a very, very long time.”
The center is set to open on Saturday, June 22. It brings to life a vision Binger has watered for 15 years.
Reggie: “Why did you want to do this?”
Erika: “North Minneapolis has a lot of great programs, not necessarily the infrastructure. So then we recognize we need infrastructure to be able to provide resources for like over the 12,000 kids living within a 15 minute walking distance here. So we were super intentional with we're bringing it right to north Minneapolis, right to our kids, and creating a space of excellence so that they have the same opportunities and the same type of connections and relationships for families.
Binger is a triathlete, dedicating her life to paying it forward.
“What really gets me is when the young people who I coached in 2007 to 2014, they come in and their eyes are just in wonderment and they're like, 'this is for us,'" Binger said. "That touches my heart, because they heard me talk about this space. Now they actually see it. They're utilizing it. They're coaching in here as well. They see that once you cast a vision, and you start putting the work in place and you make those connections and those relationships, and you drop the plans, you can actually achieve the goal.”
Malik Rucker is the executive director of V3 Sports.
“Sports is one of the biggest community builders that we have in this world, and V3 brings family together,” Rucker said.
Reggie: “How did your relationship with V3 sports come about?”
Malik: “I used to work for Minnesota Twins. So I come from the sport business background, literally born and raised in North Minneapolis, on Plymouth Avenue. V3 Center is on Plymouth Avenue. The concept of time, at the time was just an idea, and this is what our families are saying. It really aligned with my values and my career path.”
Rucker is a 5th generation northsider, and wants to help make a splash in the community.
“I want us to waterproof Minneapolis, and what that means is everybody who learns to swim,” Rucker said.
In fact, water is a big focus at V3.
“Swimming, especially in Minnesota, is a part of our life," Rucker said. "We know that drowning disparities are prevalent in our community. It's important for us to be able to create this resource for people to be able to learn to swim.”
“That's one piece that we're redefining is what is the relationship with water," Binger said. "Well, if you don't know how to swim, and you don't have that connection, our young people are missing out on that opportunity. So we're really creating pathways for them to start leveling the playing field.”
Inspired by and catered to people in the community, V3 Center is an evolving space of opportunity.
Reggie: “What’s your long term vision for V3 Sports?”
Erika: “We are going to be a place where we can bring in events. Our second phase, we're developing over 200,000 square feet over there, like six other multipurpose courts. We will have an event center, the Olympic trials pool and so then we'll be able to bring an economic generator for the region and continue to provide opportunities for young people to be involved in different careers.”
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