$1.5 million goal found daunting
By Angie Landsverk
There is support in the Waupaca area to develop arts programming for people of all ages, but not for the estimated $1.5 million cost to turn a former church into such a space.
That is what a recently completed feasibility study shows.
“There’s a willingness to work on it and a willingness to give,” Dan Reynolds told Waupaca’s common council last month when he presented the results of the study.
He is part of Holmes, Radford and Reynolds (HRR), Inc., the firm hired to complete the study.
Economic concerns and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the feasibility of raising money for the vision.
Those interviewed see the need to adjust the fundraising goal to between $250,000 and $300,000, and to also postpone the timeline for raising it.
The plan is to re-evaluate the economic situation and fundraising environment next spring.
Many said they would rather see resources put into programming than a building, Reynolds said.
Partnership opportunities should be considered, he said.
Reynolds said there are examples in the region that the local arts community should consider to learn from other organizations that have taken such an effort.
Feasibility of campaign goal
As part of the study, HRR tested the feasibility of a $1.5 million campaign goal.
That figure was based on the preliminary estimate of $950,000 to renovate the former St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church property, which has been vacant for more than 16 years.
The fundraising goal also included about $550,000 to equip the center, cover construction contingencies and fund the first two years of its operation.
The study involved sending letters of invitation to about 100 people.
Close to 40 people were interviewed, Reynolds said.
“We’re still in a weird period,” he said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
Reynolds was referring to the pandemic and how it affected the conclusions they arrived at.
The idea of turning the former church into an arts center was proposed to the city about a year ago.
People would love to see such a center exist, but saw the fundraising goal as “daunting and overly ambitious” at this time, he told the council.
Thriving arts community
Reynolds said the sense from those who participated in the interviews is “there is a thriving arts community” and a perception that the leadership is in place to move the art center idea forward.
“I think people have a heightened appreciation, awareness of the arts right now,” he said.
People think there is a demand and need for the arts, Reynolds said.
In addition to programs being the priority right now, those interviewed also recommended other sites be investigated.
Reynolds said there were also comments on how long the former church has been sitting empty.
Some believe it is the city’s responsibility to address that.
No plans for property
The property is owned by Nino Pedrelli, of State Street Realty Advisors in the Twin Cities area.
The city bought the property for $100,000 in late 2018.
It then negotiated a transfer of the property to Pedrelli for $1 so the property remained taxable.
He was then to come up with redevelopment proposals for it.
In September 2019, the common council gave him more time to come up with a plan.
Pedrelli was to have a preliminary plan by Nov. 15, 2019, and then council approval by Feb. 1, 2020.
Last Jan. 7, the council voted to amend the agreement for a second time.
He was to present a preliminary plan to the council for approval by June 16, with the city having until Sept. 2 to work with him to review and approve the plan.
Due to the pandemic, the council voted in July to amend the agreement with him again, extending it until Jan. 1, 2021.
At the same time, members of the arts community were studying whether it was feasible to turn the old church into an arts center.
Reynolds said there is a spirit of philanthropy here and optimism to engage people around a common theme of such a space somewhere in the community.
As the economy recovers, the recommendation is to start by initiating programs, he said.
That should be followed by generating resources for capacity building and then preparing for a $250,000 to $300,000 fundraising campaign to realize the vision of the arts center, Reynolds said.
“Collaboration is going to really be the name of the game when talking about the future of nonprofits,” he said.
Mayor Brian Smith thanked him for the presentation and said the city wants the arts community to be successful.
“They did an excellent job,” City Administrator Aaron Jenson said.
Noting the city’s last extension on the agreement with Pedrelli is the end of this year, Jenson said conversations about the property will begin again.