Center in the Square has announced that it has raised ,802,776 towards its million fundraising goal that will help finance the total renovation of the cultural organization’s 200,000 square foot facility on the Market Square in downtown Roanoke. Campaign volunteers are thankful to their generous donors and ask others in the community to join them.
“In this season of Thanksgiving, we want to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who has supported this incredibly worthwhile renovation project,” remarked George B. Cartledge, Jr., CEO of Grand Home Furnishings and Chairman of Center’s Board of Directors. “We are getting very close to our goal and are confident people in this community will help us go over it by a wide margin.”
Center in the Square announced the public phase of the capital campaign in late August after it received a $500,000 pledge from the Steel Dynamics Foundation and a $750,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation. At that time, almost $8 million had been raised. The effort is now less than $200,000 from reaching its goal.
“The campaign is going very well and exceeding expectations,” stated Bob Lawson, campaign co-chair. “When we do exceed our goal, any additional amounts raised will go into our endowment to be used for sustaining the new building’s operation in the future. So whether a contribution goes for bricks and mortar or sustaining future operations, you may be assured it will go toward the new building.”
“Our invitation to people is simple. Be a part of your community’s future,” added Ab Boxley, campaign co-chair. “The theme for our public campaign talks about doing great things together. We can and we are, and we would really love for folks to be a part of this historic victory and feel ownership for it when they attend our grand re-opening in 2013.”
A thirty minute documentary on Center in the Square and the renovation project is now running on regional cable networks. The show is running on Cox channel 9 Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m. and on Sundays at 1:00 p.m. until December 9. It is also running on the Comcast network public access channel 7 every day of the week and several times on the weekend. Specific air times are available at www.ValleyVisionTV.com.
The total estimated building cost for the redesign and renewal of Center in the Square is $27 million. State, Federal, and New Market tax credits have been sold providing $18 million in funding. The “Igniting Dreams, Energizing Promises” capital campaign will provide the final $9 million.
