©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| Orpheum Near Halfway Point in Fundraising for New A/C System |
The president of Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre says the theatre is close to having half the money it's estimated it would need to replace rapidly aging heating and air conditioning systems.
Kate Francis told the Knox County Civic Center Authority Board Wednesday that the theatre is on the verge of having 50 percent of the estimated $825,000 needed to replace an old boiler and an outdated air conditioning system with new equipment, with last week's announcement of a $100,000 economic stimulus grant provided through the Western Illinois Regional Council.
Francis says, however, that halfway mark hinges on two entities living up to their end of the bargain.
"We still have two oustanding commitments: one from the city, and one from the county -- $100,000 from the city's [Tax Increment Financing District] funds, and $50,000 from Knox County," Francis said. "If those two organizations will make a solid commitment to this project now that we've raised over a quarter of a million dollars, that would bring our total up to $409,494 -- or, 49.6% toward our funds needed."
Francis says she's hesitant to start any sort of major capital fundraising campaign to try and get the rest, though, because she may need that financial support later on in order to make other repairs and renovations to the nearly century-old theatre.
She says the best solution, in order to tap into more state and federal funds, is to change the downtown historic district's designation from state-based, to national-based.
(Orpheum Theatre. WGIL News File Photo.) |
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| 09 16 10 by Newsroom |
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