Jacob Wetterling Community Center Planned For St. Joseph

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Jerry Wetterling announced Tuesday that St. Joseph is going to be getting a community center in his son's honor.

The site of the Jacob Wetterling Community Center will be at Colts Academy, which the St. Cloud School District has been using for early childhood classes.

The building used to be the Kennedy Community School, where Jacob was a student before he was kidnapped and killed in 1989.

"Jacob is more than just thought at this point. Jacob's a spirit and he's very alive. That spirit's alive and it's touching everybody in here, and has touched and is going to continue touching," said Jerry Wetterling. "His work's not done yet."

St. Joseph will spend $6 million to build this community center there, but another $6 million will need to be raised through fundraisers.

Jacob's mother, Patty Wetterling, was not at Tuesday's announcement due to an dental emergency.

Donations for that community center can be sent to Sentry Bank in St. Joseph.