Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Thanks to a generous gift from the George and Priscilla Bowser family, Kosciusko County Foundation has a new home.
"As a family, they made a decision to donate the Fox Vog building to the Kosciusko County Foundation," said Suzie Light, executive director of the foundation.
The building is at the corner of Market and Buffalo streets.
The foundation learned of the sizeable gift in December. After the building is renovated, the foundation hopes to move in by August.
What enhances the gift is that the foundation received a $300,000 challenge grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow, Phase Four.
The challenge grant required the organization to raise $100,000. When they learned of the building donation, Light said, the foundation had already raised $50,000.
The foundation initially asked for the grant to purchase a new building. With the building donation, the foundation asked Lilly if they could use the funds to renovate the Fox Vog building. Lilly approved.
Scearce-Rudisel Architects, Winona Lake, has designed the floor plans for the office space for the foundation's current and future needs. In the last two years, Light said, the foundation has doubled from $7 million to $14 million. Future growth, she said, shows that more space will be needed.
Until all the space is needed, Light said, they will offer some of the space for other not-for-profit organizations for short-term use.
The basement of the building will be used for community meeting rooms. Light said they have applied for funds from the DEKKO Foundation to put in an elevator.
"We want it to be accessible for our community," she said. They want the building to be a thriving community center.
The main floor of the building is 5,600 square feet. Built in 1974, the building was once Carter's Department Store and Kline's. A market value estimate of the building was not available.
Because it was a retail store, the heating and air conditioning will need to be replaced. Walls will need to be put in to divide the building.
Currently, the foundation has moved some stored items into the building already.
"It'll probably be August before we're in," Light said. "I wish it could be next week."
The late George Bowser was a local attorney. Priscilla Bowser is currently in a nursing home. Her guardian and niece, Priscilla Garrett, lives in Denver, Colo.
The building will be named the Bowser Building in honor of the family.
The Kosciusko County Foundation was first organized in 1968, as the Greater Warsaw Community Foundation under the sponsorship of the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce. In the 1970s, the foundation was reorganized and expanded to include the entire county and renamed the Kosciusko County Foundation.
Currently, the foundation is at 117 W. Center St., Suite B, Warsaw. Their number is 267-1901.
Light said, "It'll be wonderful to have a beautiful location such as the Bowser Building so people can see all the good work that we do."
