Those Matching Funds? ALL MATCHED! Thanks, Rosslanders.
By Rossland Telegraph
UPDATE: Thanks to generous people donating money to help renovate and repair the Miners Union Hall, the $25,000 in matching funds have been more than matched: $27,000 have been contributed during March to help move the project forward.
But it’s a big project, and more money must still be raised. More donations are still needed, and potential donors are reminded that a donation of $25 or more is eligible for a tax receipt.
Original story:
Count-down. Some Q & A:
We have only until March 17 to make use of the offer of matching funds — up to $25,000 — to complete renovations to make the attic of the Miners Union Hall a welcoming, usable space.
What will it all cost?
The renovations required to convert the attic from what we can see in the picture above to a space that can be approved for “occupancy” — regular use by humans — will cost approximately $500,000.
So far, the Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) have raised $335,000.
Can’t they just do some of the work and then use the space?
No — the space must be able to be approved for “occupancy” before it can be used by the public, and that will take pretty much the full $500,000.
What about just working on fund-raising, and then doing the work next year?
The Miners Hall is City property, and the City will be doing necessary and urgent renovations to the roof and the exterior, among other things, this year — 2016. The Hall needs to be closed (most of the time!) while that work is going on, and the City will not want to close the Hall again next year for work on the attic. You may have noticed that the City is experiencing a cash crunch, and the City gets some revenue from Miners Hall rental.
Why does RCAC want to renovate the attic?
Renovating the attic will effectively double the amount of space available for community use in the Miners’ Hall. It will make more space for recreation classes, meetings, readings, art classes, and kids programming. There will be a large multi-purpose space, a meeting lounge, storage area, and kitchenette, washrooms, and a performers’ green room. People using the newly-available space will be able to appreciate the original rugged timber posts and beams, installed when the Hall was first built by the Rossland Miners Union in 1898. We think that space will be a real benefit to our community.
If I donate, do I get a tax receipt?
Yes! Donations of $25 or more are eligible for tax receipts. For more information on the project, click here. .
To make a donation the easy, painless way, click here .
