THE CIVITAN WILL LIVE AGAIN! Eugene "Fookie" Seals has purchased The Civilian Recreation Center in downtown Saginaw with the goal of restoring back to its role as a valuable community center. He grew up nearby, played basketball and attended summer programs there , and credits the center with helping launch his path to professional basketball. Seals says the Seals Group began pursuing the building in 2019 and finalized the purchase a few weeks ago. Plans include abatement first, then restoring the existing building with two renovated gyms, a stage, a computer room, and a cafe-style area, plus arts training and outdoor camps, with phase one projected at 18–24 months.
00:00 How Fookie Got His Name Name
01:01 Why Civitan Matters
02:09 Growing Up at Civitan
03:22 Basketball Built Here
05:41 Safe Spaces for Kids
07:53 Idea to Revive Civitan
10:56 Buying and Due Diligence
11:54 Renovation Reality Check
14:17 Vision for the New Hub
18:22 How You Can Help
19:22 Wrap Up and Next Steps