SOUTH BEND --- The Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center has been selected as a pilot technology site.

Through a partnership between the St. Joseph County Public Library, City of South Bend, and Metronet, the center will become a digitally inclusive technology site for what the city calls a "digitally disadvantaged population."

SJCPL is providing equipment, software, and technical support. The city is furnishing the space and Metronet will install the fiber optic infrastructure. 

The site is expected to open in late 2018. 

“Having high-speed Internet access has become the defining characteristic of the new digital divide. Homework, job searches, bill paying, and other daily needs all depend on a fast connection," said Debra Futa, SJCPL executive director. "This initiative has the potential to make more computers and connectivity available during the hours after work and school.”