James Gaines said he wants to replicate the success he found in Tampa, Florida
TRENTON -- For the last couple of years, the city's libraries have sat empty and unused. But a Trenton native is returning to his hometown with a vision to turn one of the shuttered branches into a viable part of the community -- once again.
File photo of the Cadwalader Branch of the Trenton library system on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008. Bishop James Gaines, who became pastor of Trenton's El Bethel Baptist Church following the retirement of his father, the late Rev. John Gaines, moved to Tampa, Florida, in 2010 to open Better Life Church.
What started as a free after-school performing arts program for kids who couldn't afford to go elsewhere has since become an all-purpose community center for children and their families.
Gaines, 50, said he wants to replicate that success here.
"My heart has always been with the city," he said. "I feel there's a great need and a great opportunity for me to come back and give back to that city."
The nonprofit started with between 20 and 25 kids and grew to 300-plus students after only a couple of months, he said.
Better Life now offers everything from tutoring and mentoring to life skills, job training and GED classes to help people find work.
"We found that by serving the kids, there was a need for the parents as well," he said.
Gaines said he had been looking at a number of possible locations, but when he heard about the city's decision to lease out the library's satellite branches, he thought that they would be a great fit.
RELATED: Trenton plans to lease shuttered library branches
City Council approved a resolution in July allowing the city to accept bids for the Skelton branch.
But after its Skelton offer came up short, Better Life decided to move ahead with leasing the Cadwalader branch, which did not require public bidding because it is in a redevelopment zone.
The Amistad Commission, a division of the state Department of Education, was Skelton's highest bidder and had proposed opening a center similar to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. Concerns about cost, however, prompted the group to rescind its offer.
"It was a great opportunity but the costs and timeline was not something that we're physically able to do as a commission," executive director Stephanie James Wilson said this week.
Amistad's withdrawal now puts Better Life in line to lease the property.
"Now we need to go back to them tomorrow and give them the option of deciding whether they want to proceed with the Cadwalader library or whether they want to go back to looking at Skelton," said Monique King-Viehland, the city's Director of Housing and Economic Development.
Gaines said Wednesday morning that he had not yet heard about the bid, but said Cadwalader would still be his first preference.
City council is set to vote on the lease Thursday. Better Life would make all necessary repairs and proposed paying $500 a month in rent the first year up to $900 a month by the end of the five-year lease.
Gaines said the group already has contractors lined up and would like to move in as soon as possible.
"We're there to be able to empower and impact people's lives," he said. "If we better their lives, then the city will be a better place."
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
