Art Association Eyes City Hall For Museum
December 6, 2016 at 8:19 p.m.
By David [email protected]
At the Redevelopment Commission meeting Monday afternoon, David Taylor said, “Lakeland Art Association, which is down on Winona Avenue, right now we’ve outgrown our facility. What we’d like to see is a museum for the county, and we have a number of backers for that.”
He said he’s already talked to the county’s tourism commission.
“What we’re looking at is the old city hall. It’s been sitting there for four years now, and nothing has happened there except the roof leaks. And we’d like to take it over, fix it up,”?he said.
Taylor said LAA would be responsible entirely for the interior of the building.
“We’ve been working on this for a little while,”?he said, noting they have steering, advisory and acquisition committees. Two positions on the steering committee are open for appointments from the city and county councils. The advisory committee is made up of representatives from museums outside of the county, while the acquisition committee would help the museum acquire art or give suggestions on that.
The old city hall is a great location, Taylor continued, because it’s been there a number of years and nothing has happened to it. He and Melody Koher have toured it and saw that it has a “really great potential, it’s in a great location and it would anchored in the cultural corridor that we would like to have that runs down Market Street,” he said.
As for the operating costs on a regular basis, Taylor said the county tourism commission pledged $100,000 over five years, subject to change depending on what the proposed museum needs. The board has not approved that money yet, Taylor later confirmed.
The LAA already has a pledge of $20,000 for the renovations, though Taylor said they really haven’t started to solicit funds.
“I see no reason why we can’t totally renovate the inside of that building with private funds,” he said. “As a taxpayer, I look at that building and something should be done with that building.”
He said the LAA sees the potential museum as a “major tourist destination.” It would be open at least 11 months out of the year.
He said the LAA has a lot of plans, including working with the local schools.
“I see a real potential for the city here and what we can do with this,” Taylor said.
The museum is something the state looks for in awarding grants, he said, as well as being the very thing OrthoWorx talked about doing in its study. He said the museum could work with other museums in bringing exhibits to town.
“We need a facility. I will tell you that when I was president of Lakeland Art Association, we turned down a Van Gogh exhibition because we did not have the facility. If we had this facility, we could have had a Van Gogh exhibition here,” Taylor stated.
LAA has been in the county for over 50 years, and is a natural entity to run the museum, so there would be no real operating expenses by the city to operate it at this point, Taylor said.
“I’m not saying there would never be anything, operating expenses by the city, but that is not our plan. Our plan is to become self-sufficient,” Taylor told the Commission.
He said the LAA has a plan to become self-sufficient and operate the museum, but it has to get off the ground first.
When he served on the county’s tourism commission, Taylor said it spent $70,000 on studies, and the studies said a museum was the type of thing the county should bring in if it wants to grow as a community.
Commission President Tim Meyer asked if the museum was going to charge admissions. Taylor responded that was undecided at this point, but LAA was consulting with other museums on how they are sustainable.
For the record, Meyer said the city owns the building so the Redevelopment Commission “has no dog in this fight.” But, he said, in order for the LAA to get pledges for the museum, it needs access to the building to get bids from private contractors for the renovations. Then donors would have to be presented with the plans and figures so the LAA could raise the money to renovate the old city hall.
Meyer said that would be a lengthy process.
“Everything is speculation,” Taylor said.
Commission member George Clemens asked City Planner Jeremy Skinner if the building has been appraised. Skinner said it was about two to three years ago, then did an update about 1-1/2 years ago.
“We’re looking at leasing, not buying,” Taylor said.
Mike Klondaris, Commission member, asked if the LAA had plans to become a 501(c)3 organization. Taylor replied it already was a non-profit. Klondaris said that would probably entice people to donate.
“I haven’t really started soliciting funds, but I’ve had people in businesses say we will support you. I’ve given them some figures to work with relatively. So, generally, it’s around $5,000 per person per entity. And they’re all saying that’s doable,” Taylor said.
He said there’s a lot of ducks to get in a row, but he has to start somewhere.
At the Redevelopment Commission meeting Monday afternoon, David Taylor said, “Lakeland Art Association, which is down on Winona Avenue, right now we’ve outgrown our facility. What we’d like to see is a museum for the county, and we have a number of backers for that.”
He said he’s already talked to the county’s tourism commission.
“What we’re looking at is the old city hall. It’s been sitting there for four years now, and nothing has happened there except the roof leaks. And we’d like to take it over, fix it up,”?he said.
Taylor said LAA would be responsible entirely for the interior of the building.
“We’ve been working on this for a little while,”?he said, noting they have steering, advisory and acquisition committees. Two positions on the steering committee are open for appointments from the city and county councils. The advisory committee is made up of representatives from museums outside of the county, while the acquisition committee would help the museum acquire art or give suggestions on that.
The old city hall is a great location, Taylor continued, because it’s been there a number of years and nothing has happened to it. He and Melody Koher have toured it and saw that it has a “really great potential, it’s in a great location and it would anchored in the cultural corridor that we would like to have that runs down Market Street,” he said.
As for the operating costs on a regular basis, Taylor said the county tourism commission pledged $100,000 over five years, subject to change depending on what the proposed museum needs. The board has not approved that money yet, Taylor later confirmed.
The LAA already has a pledge of $20,000 for the renovations, though Taylor said they really haven’t started to solicit funds.
“I see no reason why we can’t totally renovate the inside of that building with private funds,” he said. “As a taxpayer, I look at that building and something should be done with that building.”
He said the LAA sees the potential museum as a “major tourist destination.” It would be open at least 11 months out of the year.
He said the LAA has a lot of plans, including working with the local schools.
“I see a real potential for the city here and what we can do with this,” Taylor said.
The museum is something the state looks for in awarding grants, he said, as well as being the very thing OrthoWorx talked about doing in its study. He said the museum could work with other museums in bringing exhibits to town.
“We need a facility. I will tell you that when I was president of Lakeland Art Association, we turned down a Van Gogh exhibition because we did not have the facility. If we had this facility, we could have had a Van Gogh exhibition here,” Taylor stated.
LAA has been in the county for over 50 years, and is a natural entity to run the museum, so there would be no real operating expenses by the city to operate it at this point, Taylor said.
“I’m not saying there would never be anything, operating expenses by the city, but that is not our plan. Our plan is to become self-sufficient,” Taylor told the Commission.
He said the LAA has a plan to become self-sufficient and operate the museum, but it has to get off the ground first.
When he served on the county’s tourism commission, Taylor said it spent $70,000 on studies, and the studies said a museum was the type of thing the county should bring in if it wants to grow as a community.
Commission President Tim Meyer asked if the museum was going to charge admissions. Taylor responded that was undecided at this point, but LAA was consulting with other museums on how they are sustainable.
For the record, Meyer said the city owns the building so the Redevelopment Commission “has no dog in this fight.” But, he said, in order for the LAA to get pledges for the museum, it needs access to the building to get bids from private contractors for the renovations. Then donors would have to be presented with the plans and figures so the LAA could raise the money to renovate the old city hall.
Meyer said that would be a lengthy process.
“Everything is speculation,” Taylor said.
Commission member George Clemens asked City Planner Jeremy Skinner if the building has been appraised. Skinner said it was about two to three years ago, then did an update about 1-1/2 years ago.
“We’re looking at leasing, not buying,” Taylor said.
Mike Klondaris, Commission member, asked if the LAA had plans to become a 501(c)3 organization. Taylor replied it already was a non-profit. Klondaris said that would probably entice people to donate.
“I haven’t really started soliciting funds, but I’ve had people in businesses say we will support you. I’ve given them some figures to work with relatively. So, generally, it’s around $5,000 per person per entity. And they’re all saying that’s doable,” Taylor said.
He said there’s a lot of ducks to get in a row, but he has to start somewhere.
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