Leonardo group hoping to boost remodel funds
The Leonardo, a group of science and arts organizations, has raised $10 million in private donations to help renovate the library building. The city has kicked in another $10 million from a voter-approved bond in 2003, but that $20 million won't be quite enough to fix up the old building, because costs of construction rose over the past three years.
Part of the problem is that the organizations favor plans that would cost an additional $3 million that they don't have yet. The Leonardo's leaders are committed to raising the money needed for the construction, but they are still hoping the city will kick in up to $1.5 million for a more expensive seismic retrofitting, said Mary Tull, executive director.
"What we're trying to do is say, 'Look, there's a way to achieve this north addition,' " Tull said. "We're going to raise our part of it through a naming opportunity."
Tull said the group is talking to various local organizations about options for honoring donors through temporary naming of items such as exhibits or wings, cases where the naming would rotate and be less expensive, and legacy naming, which would be permanent and cost more than the $1.5 million that The Leonardo needs to raise.
"We just ran out of money, basically," said Dave Buhler, council chairman. "There are other things that we would have liked to have done that are worthy projects, but at least at my kitchen table, there comes a point (at which) OK, we're done. I guess we'll have to buy that big-screen TV next year."
Councilman Carlton Christensen, who also is chairman of the city's redevelopment agency, said he'll propose that the RDA contribute $750,000 to The Leonardo under the condition that the group then raises the rest of the $3 million from private donors. The old city library sits at the edge of the central business district and thus is eligible to use RDA funds, he said.
"My hope is that Tuesday night we can come to a decision so that at least The Leonardo can take that out to potential donors to demonstrate the city's commitment to the project," Christensen said.
Regardless of the city's financial commitment, Tull said the group wants to start the next phase of its plans — detailed architectural and technical drawings — in July. Those drawings will take around a year to complete, and then construction will be "one year plus a bit" after the drawings are complete, putting The Leonardo's opening sometime late in 2008, she said.
"We're not being responsible if we drag this out any more," Tull said. "It's up to us to kind of put a deadline on it so that we can move forward."
E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com
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