Tempe gets funding from Maricopa County to operate indoor cooling center

PHOENIX — The city of Tempe received a grant from the state’s most populous county to operate a new indoor cooling center in the East Valley city during the sweltering months.

The $50,000 grant from Maricopa County is headed toward the new cooling station at the EnVision Center, which opened Wednesday near Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive, Maricopa County said in a press release.

Open from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Sept. 30, the cooling center is for anyone in need of relief and hydration.

“It’s open to all, whether it’s people that are unsheltered or that are not unsheltered. It’s just a place to cool off,” Jennifer Adams, Tempe vice mayor, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

In addition to heat relief services, the EnVision Center will also offer GED classes, housing assistance and parenting programs.

“Maricopa County and the city of Tempe are dedicated to working together to address the challenges posed by extreme heat,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Jack Sellers said in the release.

“In the short term, that means a cool indoor space to hydrate and recover. But EnVision Center will be so much more than that. It will also provide resources to help people get their long-term housing and financial needs met.”

An estimated 1,120 people will be served at the cooling center through its 118 days of operation this year, the release said.

While Tempe continues to provide heat relief services, Adams said a more regional approach needs to be done.

“I mean, Tempe can’t do it on its own. So we need the other cities surrounding Tempe to help out and have more of a joint relationship and a joint effort for resolving this issue,” Adams said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Luke Forstner contributed to this story.

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