St. Frances Cabrini / Christ Child Center

1334 SOUTH 9TH STREET

Built in 1968, In Planning for Renovation

The Christ Child Center at 10th and William Streets, a community hub that closed last year amid declining attendance and funding, has been purchased by and is to become an extension of the neighboring St. Frances Cabrini Church and its All Saints grade school.

The congregation bought the 12,600-square-foot structure — to be called the Cabrini Parish Center — from the Omaha Archdiocese’s Catholic Charities for $100,000. The parish expects further investment — more than $500,000 and up to $1 million — to renovate the nearly 50-year-old complex that covers about an acre and is across 10th Street from the parish. (That doesn’t include the volunteer elbow grease the church also seeks.)

The immediate goal, Zuerlein said, is to renovate areas in the former Christ Child for preschool and kindergarten classrooms, allowing the main school building to have a permanent music room and separate lab space dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math.

The most extensive and likely last phase of renovation, he said, will transform the former swimming pool and locker area into a multipurpose social hall with a kitchen to be used or rented for community gatherings and events related to parish functions.