The Charleston Urban Renewal Authority denied a request to provide funding to the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts for the build out of its new facility.
Alissa Novoselick, the Tamarack Foundation's executive director, gave updates to CURA on the organization's capital campaign to raise funds for its "creative business incubator," which is slated to be housed in the former Staats Hospital on Washington Street West.
The foundation has raised nearly $84,000 of its $150,000 fund raising goal, which kicked off in March, Novoselick said.
The commissioners declined to contribute to the project because CURA already is providing funding and loans to Crawford Holdings LLC, which owns the Staats building, for its renovation.
"It's not within our mission for us, so we cannot provide funding, because we have done the bricks and mortar of the building," said CURA's chairwoman, Diane Strong-Treister. "We cannot donate to tenants or occupants that are going into that building."
The Tamarack Foundation for the Arts plans to sign a 10-year lease to move into a 2,500 space in the Staats building once it meets its fundraising goal.
In a memorandum given to CURA commissioners before the meeting, Executive Director Jim Edwards recommended that, "if the Board wishes to fund this project, Tamarack be asked to raise the first $100,000, with CURA only then providing the remaining $50,000."
The business incubator would be geared toward artist entrepreneurs and provide them with in-person training, education and development programs for business-minded artists, as well as a gallery to showcase their work.
"We help those folks get their work into external markets," Novoselick said.
She said the foundation also focuses on creative placemaking in West Virginia.
"Artists aren't going to move to a place like the West Side," Novoselick said, "unless there's infrastructure there already for them to create their business."
CURA also is narrowing down the selection of applicants vying for the executive director position after Edwards leaves in October.
Strong-Treister said the board received about 30 applications and had interviewed seven applicants by phone recently. Over the next few weeks, the board will narrow the pool down to three or four applicants for in-person interviews.
Strong-Treister said the new director likely will be selected by the next meeting.
Also on Wednesday, the board received an update from Tighe Bullock, whose company, Crawford Holdings LLC, is renovating the Staats building and two others in the Elk City district of the West Side.
Bullock said his company is focusing on renovating the second floors above Kin Ship Goods and Bully Trap Barbershop into apartments, which are slated for completion early next year.
Bullock said the apartments' rent would be in the range of $700 per bedroom.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.