Please help me understand this project. It sounds like we are being asked to fund a country club for the homeless. Is my understanding correct? If so, it will be a magnet for the homeless across the south.
Plans are drawn, land is under option and architects have been hired. Now all it takes is money.
The Augusta Salvation Army hopes to raise $30 million locally that will trigger a $60 million gift from the Ray and Joan Kroc Foundation to establish a 112,000-square-foot social service complex off Broad Street.
In April, the property committee for the 20-acre Kroc Center project chose Cheatham, Fletcher and Scott as lead architect, with Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture as a partner firm, ending a selection process that began in July 2007.
The vision, according to Kroc Center Coordinator Derek Dugan, is to build a two-story, standalone building between the Augusta Canal and Broad Street in the Chafee Park area.
"It's a five-year pledge period," Mr. Dugan said of the capital campaign. "Once we get commitments in place, we can start building."
Once completed, the glassed complex would include park and greenspace areas, classrooms, worship and conference space, offices for dozens of arts and social service groups, a 500-seat performing arts center and chapel, and many other amenities.
The center, which could open in 2010, also will include a full-sized fitness center with a gym, aerobic, weight and fitness training equipment; and an aquatics center with swim therapy programming, a waterslide and splash park and lap lanes.
Kroc Centers are part of the vision of Joan B. Kroc, widow of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc. Mrs. Kroc, who died in 2003, left a $1.5 billion endowment to establish such centers across the nation and chose the Salvation Army to help implement her dream.
According to a prospectus provided by Mr. Dugan, land acquisition and construction will cost about $30 million, with the remainder of the $90 million goal generated over years and used as an endowment to ensure its future funding.
Although $30 million is a lofty goal for local fundraising, the Salvation Army expects to generate the first $10 million of the goal through "approved operational credits" that give credit for existing funded programs that would transfer to the new Kroc Center.
To further help with fundraising, the committee has hired a Columbus, Ohio firm, Goettler Associates, to identify suitable foundations, corporations and potential donors with ties to Augusta, Mr. Dugan said.
The project will also have a full-time construction manager moving to Augusta from Atlanta on July 1, when Maj. Bruce Jones, who has been involved in other Kroc Center projects, will arrive.
Portions of the 20 acres needed for the center are already owned by the city and available, and the Salvation Army is pursuing options on other needed parcels, all in the Harrisburg area.
Mr. Dugan said 100 percent of the essential parcels are already secured with purchase options. Several other unsecured parcels are desirable, he said, but failure to acquire them would not affect the project.
"We have all the property tied up with options, and we have also received permission to start closing," he said, noting that the Salvation Army's willingness to release property acquisition funds shows the parent organization is confident the project will proceed as planned.
A side project that has emerged during land acquisition involves the potential rehabilitation of some of the older Harrisburg homes that occupy the Kroc Center site.
"There are 26 landowners total, with 19 homes," he said. "We learned it would cost $8,000 apiece to demolish them, but found out they can be moved for $5,800 apiece."
Mr. Dugan is working with local engineer Rick Toole and the Historic Augusta Inc. group to find money to move the homes to nearby lots in Harrisburg, where they can be renovated and maintained and returned to their use as homes for deserving residents.
Discussions also are under way to involve the nearby Sibley Mill in the project. The vacant mill is under option to businessman Clay Boardman, who hopes to restore the site for housing and other uses, as he has with Enterprise Mill a few blocks away.
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Please help me understand this project. It sounds like we are being asked to fund a country club for the homeless. Is my understanding correct? If so, it will be a magnet for the homeless across the south.
You need to read the paper. If you look at the list of the orgaizations listed in print that will occupy this complex, it is not a homeless center. I believe everything offered here is going to be available to everyone living in Augusta.
It seems to me county money should go to this so the 60 million dollar gift is not lost. That's a lot of money to be infused into the city.
Catfish20 - that is one thing we will absolutely have to address - I know people associate the Salvation Army with homelessness, but this is absolutely not a homeless-program facility. In fact, the homeless programs will remain at the Salvation Army shelter and will not be at the Kroc Center. The Kroc Center is a christian community center that will provide arts, education and recreation services for youth, adults and seniors by giving a home to the non-profits in all of those areas to conduct those services.
Joan Kroc had a vision that addressed Arts, Education and Recreation in a community and asked The Salvation Army to fulfill that vision. This is a change from the normal Salvation Army mission, but one we are expanding to meet.
I'll be checking in regularly if anyone has questions.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
catfish must be a republican.if it has anything to do with the poor or homeless they are against it.
Keep up the good work Mr. Dugan. Harrisburg desperately needs this. Can you give me some idea about what will happen to the Boys Club?
lol,why did i post so many times
Shivas, thank you - The Boys and Girls Club will stay where it is, directly next door to the Kroc Center. The facilities in the Kroc Center will be designed to compliment the needs of the B&GC so that they can expand their programming. For example, I know they are very excited about having an aquatics center that their kids can use. We will be working with them to meet their needs to expand and will not create any programming that will duplicate what they are doing.
I highly recommend that anyone interested to visit www.kroccenter.org and view the Membership and Program Guide on the left side of the page to fully understand the scope of what a Kroc Center will bring to Augusta.
ibew--because you hit the post button so many times. Thanks for the uneducated slur against republicans. I am a republican and I don't hate the poor. And I will only post this once.
This is exactly what our city and especially Harrisburg needs. Boredom and inactivity leads to trouble, and with these programs that teach and increase self-esteem to young and old, it's a winning idea. This center will change many lives in so many ways, and all benefits will trickle down in every sector. Good luck and God bless you Mr. Dugan in your quest and calling!
When a person integral to a news story takes the time to monitor the online board and respond to commentary is when these boards/blogs truly become useful. Kudos to you Mr. Dugan and you've got my support.
I just wonder if the Salvation Army can really raise that kind of money without it hurting all the other non-profit organizations in this area that do good work. 30 Million is a lot of money!
Thanks to everyone for the encouragement - brimisjoshan, regarding your comment. Yes, $30 million is a huge campaign, but actually the number is more like $20 million due to some credits we can apply towards the goal. That is still a huge number to reach, but the rewards of $60 million more if we raise $20 million is too good to pass up. Also, we have spoken to all the Kroc partners about this issue. We plan on being very creative in our campaign to try and avoid cutting into donor's annual giving plans. As this campaign moves along, I believe you will see a message asking every donor to maintain their existing funding and to give above that amount for this project. It will be tough to do this, but we believe from our studies that we will likely experience a year of "flat" giving for non-profits, but no decline. Afterwards, there will be such an increase in non-profit awareness due to the campaing, similar models have shown a significant increase in funding after the campaign ends.
This is a great idea. Augusta need this project very bad. The kroc center in a atlanta has done great. Only about 8 cities in the entire south have been chosen to recieve a kroc center. I would like them to build baseball fields, golf course, soccer fields, and maybe a dirt bike track. It would nice to introduce these kids to other sports besides football and basketball. Sports are good for kids especially young males. Who are 15, 16 years old and who maybe going through a breaking point in life.
Some of the Kroc partners have been getting calls today about their offices relocating to the Kroc Center - as might have been inferred by the story. The Kroc Partners will USE the facility for programming, but only the United Way will be relocating their offices there. Some organizations will have satellite offices or regional offices there, but a majority of the partners will simply conduct programming in the Kroc Center.
Hi i.b.e.w. My political views are more republican than democractic and my church has an outreach ministry feeding the poor and clothing them and helping them find jobs. I support this ministry.
I've also given money to the Salvation Army.
What a stupid comment i.b.e.w.
pleased with our venue for Family concerts -- the Performing Arts Theatre at Augusta State, and the Hardin Performing Arts Theatre in Columbia County for our Columbia County Music Series.
My earlier response was 'cut short'...re Self01 - when talking about Symphony venues -- indicating that the Kroc's proposed 500-seat hall is not adequate for Symphony. Masterworks at 1st Baptist (1000 seating) & Pops at Bell (2200 seating) - the arts organizations want and need, and Augusta deserves, a center for performing arts - preferably in downtown Augusta.
Regarding yesterday’s article in Augusta Chronicle, including a listing of the Augusta Symphony along with other arts organizations in Augusta, inferring that the Symphony is a prospective tenant of the proposed Kroc Center – this information was included without the knowledge or consent of the Augusta Symphony. At this time, the Symphony has no intention of participating in the Kroc Center fund-raising project. We appreciate our offices in Sacred Heart Cultural Center, which saved and refurbished and now owned & maintained by The Knox Foundation.
Sandra Self, Executive Director, Augusta Symphony Inc.
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