Renovations at the Creative Spirit Art Center on Raymond Street are set to move into a new phase Sept. 25. SLC Arts photo.
BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week
POTSDAM — With the asbestos cleared from the floors, walls and ceiling at the Creative Spirit Art Center at 6 and 8 Raymond Street, SLC Arts expects the center’s renovation project to move to the next phase.
That work could be finished after the first part of next year allowing the organization to move back in.
However, projected costs of the renovation have exceeded initial estimates due to the climb in the cost of materials and construction over the last couple years. SLC Arts needs to raise an additional $200,000 to cover the cost of the work.
“We are so fortunate here at SLC Arts to have an enthusiastic team working with us to make this dream a reality. Our board of directors, staff, and the capital campaign team we’ve been building are excited to get the last bit of funding to move forward,” said Maggie McKenna, SLC Arts co-executive director.
“This project is vital to our community and to our organization. We have a plan to cover the budget increases, but we could always use the support of community members who are dedicated to the potential of this great North Country community and our Potsdam-based center,” McKenna told North Country This Week.
The most recent cost estimate for the project is $778,000. St Lawrence County Arts Council, Inc., also known as SLC Arts, received a state grant of $578,000 by way of the Village of Potsdam’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative for the center.
However, SLC Arts officials say that since applying for the grant in Sept. 2022, costs of construction and materials have climbed, leaving $200,000 for the organization to raise from other sources.
“At this point, nearly every portion of the Creative Spirit renovation project has doubled in cost from the initial projection, which is in line with what many others across the country are experiencing….
Read the full article here