The Campaign FOR CENTER IN THE SQUARE
- RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2010
- For Further Information Contact:
- John C. Harlow, Campaign Consultant/Director
- Center in the Square
- (540) 283.9158 office
- (704) 258.6263 mobile
Center in the Square Announces Major Grants, Public Campaign
ROANOKE, VA - The Campaign for Center in the Square has received a $750,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation and a $500,000 pledge from the Steel Dynamics Foundation. Combined with other donations, nearly $8 million has been raised towards Center's $9 million fundraising goal. The public phase to raise the final $1 million is officially underway.
"This challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation is a really big deal," explained Ab Boxley, campaign co-chair. "Center in the Square competed on a national level to win this award, which says a lot about the merits of the project. In order to satisfy the conditions of the grant, we have been challenged as a community to raise the final million by the first of the year."
"The pacesetting generosity we have also received from Steel Dynamics Foundation is a tremendous example of their continuing support of and belief in our community and this project. Other likeminded corporations, individuals, foundations, and governments have also been cheerful givers. Just like the effort to renovate the Hotel Roanoke, Center in the Square now needs the backing of everyone who is willing to help," added Bob Lawson, campaign co-chair.
"We are extremely grateful to all of our donors, campaign volunteers, and tax credit partners. They have given generously and worked diligently, in challenging times, to help fund this renovation project. As thrilled as we are to be able to see success on the horizon, we hope others will choose to be part of this historic undertaking and help us finish this campaign," commented George B. Cartledge, Jr., CEO of Grand Home Furnishings and Chairman of Center's Board of Directors.
"Igniting Dreams, Energizing Promises" - the Campaign for Center in the Square is a volunteer led $9 million capital campaign that will, when combined with $18 million in tax credits that have already been sold, fund the $27 million renovation of Center in the Square.
Beginning now through the end of the year, caring citizens in the region are being invited to join this historic effort by pledging their support or making a contribution. To receive more information about the project or to make a contribution, contact Valerie McConnell, Campaign Coordinator, at 540-283-9158, or visit Center's website, at www.centerinthesquare.org.
RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2010
Kresge Foundation Awards Center in the Square $750,000 Challenge Grant
ROANOKE, Va. - The Campaign for Center in the Square has received national recognition by way of a $750,000 Facilities Challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation of Troy, Michigan. Grant monies were awarded to Center in support of its historic preservation and green building renovation project under the Kresge Foundation's Arts and Culture Field of Interest. This award follows a $50,000 Green Building Initiative Grant given by the Kresge Foundation in 2008.
This project shares the advancement of values prized by the Kresge Foundation, including environmental conservation, innovation, collaboration, institutional transformation and community impact. The grant award also serves as a mark of the project's national significance.
One of the most exciting features of Center's renovation is the spectacular new rooftop. The green roof will be multi-level, offer educational exhibits, and serve as a venue for entertainment functions. There will be classroom space, as well as dining facilities. A significant portion of the ceiling of the fifth floor will be opened and re-enclosed in a dynamic skylight as part of a new butterfly habitat. In addition, many of the latest sustainable, green, and energy-harnessing technologies will make the rooftop a living laboratory of energy efficiency, research and education. Wind turbines, a living wall, solar panels and a goldfish pond will be incorporated into the rooftop experience for both their operational effectiveness and educational aspects. This awe-inspiring roof concept will become one of the most innovative in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Center in the Square's green building renovation calls for comprehensive facility enhancements and improvements. The renovation will improve all 200,000 square feet of Center in the Square - space will be reconfigured and connected for best use; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will be upgraded to meet modern museum and exhibit requirements; and green technologies will be incorporated as Center becomes a model for energy efficiency. The building itself, along with its organizations, will become a more people-friendly educational experience that offers the latest in exhibit technology.
The Kresge Foundation is a national, private foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations. The foundation's work is focused in six fields of interest: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development.
RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2010
Steel Dynamics Foundation Pledges $500,000 to Center Campaign
ROANOKE, Va. - The Steel Dynamics Foundation has pledged $500,000 to the "Igniting Dreams, Energizing Promises" Campaign in support of the $27 million total renovation of Center in the Square. The contribution will reserve naming rights for the new 5,500 gallon living coral-reef aquarium that will be a signature exhibit in Center's renovated atrium.
"This gift is a testimony to the long-standing and continuing relationship between Steel Dynamics and Center in the Square, working together to make our community a great place to live, work, and raise a family," said Dr. Jim Sears, President and General Manager of Center. "The former Roanoke Electric Steel and Hancock Family helped to create Center, and it is heartwarming to see Steel Dynamics build on that legacy of caring for our community."
"We are delighted to support this campaign and project and genuinely believe in the benefits a fully renovated Center in the Square will provide to the entire region," explained Joe Crawford, President of Steel Dynamics Roanoke Bar Division. "Center in the Square may be located in downtown Roanoke, but it serves everyone who lives in or visits Southwest Virginia."
This is the first major grant from the Steel Dynamics Foundation in the area. Steel Dynamics Roanoke Bar Division, New Millennium Building Systems in Salem, and OmniSource SE of Montvale/Rocky Mount are all operating companies of Steel Dynamics Inc. and are the funding sources for the Steel Dynamics Foundation.
The Steel Dynamics Foundation will be naming the breathtaking 5,500-gallon living coral-reef aquarium in the lobby/atrium of the renovated building. It will hold 250 colorful marine fish and 150 assorted live soft and stony corals. There will also be three smaller aquariums in the atrium, two holding jellyfish, and one holding seahorses. The 5,500-gallon tank will be the largest-living coral-reef aquarium in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The aquarium exhibits planned for Center in the Square's new lobby/atrium are just a part of many new features that will be realized through this effort. Center will have an entirely new street level appearance and entrance. There will be interactive media and programmable electronic features, a dining experience made possible by the relocation of the Little Dipper restaurant, new catering and service facilities for special events and performances, a ticket sales center and regional information booth, and the ability to open the glass walls facing the Market Square for large special events.