The City of West Haven and the Masonic Annawon Lodge 115 signed a contract to create West Haven's first cultural arts center. The ammended deal includes verbiage that places absestos abatement responsiblities to the Masons, who are looking to build a new building, which is more friendly to older members of their group.
The purchase price is $650,000, of which $550,000 is covered by a state grant. The remaining $100,000 will be paid by the city. Originally, the deal would have been $550,000, and the city was going to give part of the parking lot for land for a new lodge, but the city would have been responsible for abestos abatement. In the current $650,000 deal, the Masons will locate their own new home, and will be responsible for removing abestos.
I take issue with the following statements from Mayor Picard:
Picard said the city can pay the extra $100,000 because it saved $250,000 this year by requiring taxpayers paying their tax bills via credit cards to absorb the processing fees.If we saved $250,000 this year by placing credit card fees on the taxpayers, how come that wasn't already figured into the budget, and reduce our tax burden by $250,000?
The mayor said the city will actually save money on the deal because the Masons were required to obtain a renegotiated asbestos contract. Further, the city would save $2.5 million should it move on plans now on hiatus to rehabilitate City Hall and use the lodge as a temporary City Hall in the meantime.
How are we going to save $2.5 million dollars if we are going to rehabilitate City Hall? We're going to end up spending a lot of money.
Additionally, the building is going to take $1.5 million to renovate:
As for how the city will find $1.5 million, numerous art groups such as the West Haven Cultural Arts Association and West Haven Arts Council that operate shows out of various locations have vowed to raise funds to make it a reality.While I truly welcome the idea of arts in the city, and more reasons to come downtown, my one concern with this statement is that NEITHER of these groups have held a visible presence in our city. Art shows, sales, etc. have all been next to non-existant.
In my opinion, our city should take some lessons from Milford, which has a large art presence, and holds high quality juried arts and crafts shows on their green repeatedly throughout the summer... I'd love to see more of that downtown. Milford also is in the process of creating an arts center at Stowe Arts Colony ,and recently received a $50,000 grant to aide in that effort, after purchasing the $825,000 property in 2002.
I'd love to see a more visible arts community in West Haven... I'd love to see fine arts and photography studio rental and educational communities, like the New Haven Artspace. I'd love to see gallery space and art on display. And I'd like to see the community involved.
I'd like to see Paul Scanlan's vision of a downtime revitalized by people coming to art-related events, and staying to eat at local cafes.
... let's see if it can happen.
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1 comment:
My understanding is actually that it would have cost quite a bit more for us to do the abestos abatement ourselves than to have them deliver it to us Abestos free; $100,000 is ALL that it is costing the city - the rest of the money came from a state grant.
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