Charleston Main Streets plans to partner with the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts to bolster fundraising efforts for the civic group's future home in the former Staats Hospital.
Alissa Novoselick, executive director for the foundation, gave updates to the Charleston Main Streets board of directors at its meeting Tuesday.
The foundation has raised $40,000 of its $100,000 goal to fund the buildout of its future "creative business incubator," a hub where the state's artists can attend workshops, receive training on arts-based business development and showcase their work.
Novoselick said she reached a financial agreement with John and Tighe Bullock, who own the building.
Once the foundation reaches its $100,000 goal, the Bullocks will credit that toward its rent for the next several years.
"We're looking at seven years rent-free once we build out the space, and then at a reduced rate...so we would have a ten-year lease," she said.
Charleston Main Streets plans to formally kick off its fundraising campaign for the foundation on May 7 during Foam at the Dome at Laidley Field.
Dubbed the Dollar Per Square Campaign, referencing the 2,500-square-foot-space the foundation will occupy in the Staats Building, the campaign will be featured on Charleston Main Streets' website, asking people to donate at least one dollar for every square inch of the space.
"The idea is we'd [make] at least a $2,500 contribution as a partner on this project since it is so transformative," said Charleston Main Streets Executive Director Ric Cavender. "Given that their mission in many ways mirrors the work we do, we felt it was appropriate to partner with another nonprofit that's investing in one of our business districts."
Novoselick added that the foundation, which is a separate entity from the Tamarack in Beckley, is planning a "Sip and See" fundraising event for this summer, where attendees can see the site firsthand and make donations toward funding its build-out.
Also on Tuesday, the board heard an update on ticket sales for Foam at the Dome, scheduled for May 7.
Adam Stolling, project manager for Charleston Main Streets' East End Main Street Program, said more than 1,700 of the 2,300 available tickets had been sold as of Tuesday.
If the event sells out, he said, Charleston Main Streets will net as much as $50,000.
Board member Alisa Bailey also mentioned that an organizational meeting with regards to the "brunch bill" will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Charleston Area Alliance office, 1116 Smith St.
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Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.