JASPER — Jasper Common Council members expressed Wednesday night their overall support for the idea of creating the Jasper Cultural Center while tying various stipulations to that support.
Two of the councilmen — Tom Schmidt and Ray Howard — said they would support the project to have a cultural center that is shared by the library and arts center, so long as the entire Hoosier Desk building is demolished.
Schmidt point-blank asked Jasper Public Library President Dean Vonderheide, who was at the council’s meeting Wednesday night, what was the library’s plan for the building.
“Are you going to tear it down, like we’ve been hearing all over town?” Schmidt asked.
“In our scenario, we took the approach where we would completely demolish the building, because that was the lowest cost to the taxpayers,” Vonderheide said. “I think that as we go forward and go through (a request for proposal from engineering companies), that question can be raised once again to what can be re-purposed inside or if there are certain portions of the building that can be (used). Ideally, the library board has said we are ready to go in and demolish the building and go forward.”
“If that is true, then I will support the project,” Schmidt responded. “But going in that building, what’s there now, I will not support it.”
What will actually play out as far as construction is not completely determined yet, Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz said this morning. The project could still be a combination of reusing parts of the building and demolishing other parts.
“We are collaborating,” Seitz said. “The library is looking at dollars and cents. But there is still a lot of collaboration and a lot of work to be done. The good thing is that the (Indiana Industrial Restoration) tax credit will apply to the site either way.”
Cost and the types of funding that could be obtained for the project will play a major part in making that ultimate determination.
The Jasper Library Board decided last week to go forward with the cultural center at the Hoosier Desk site, which is bracketed by Third, Fourth and Mill streets as well as near the Riverwalk and within the downtown area.
For Vonderheide and library board member Bob Hewitt, the deciding factor was learning the state approved the project for an Indiana Industrial Restoration (or dino) tax credit. The credit will cover 25 percent of eligible project costs, up to $3.4 million. The library will be the group that purchases the building.
According to the library’s numbers, the project would cost $12.6 million to demolish the building and start new. Half of that, $6.3 million, would be covered by the library. Demolishing only part of the building — the three-story building at the site, in particular — and reusing the rest would cost the library $6.7 million if the library covered the whole $864,000 cost to purchase the property or $6.4 million if the library covered half of the purchase cost.
Ken and Paul Sternberg own the building. A structural report by Universal Design Associates of Ferdinand found many issues in the building, including bowing and unstable walls and uneven floors; the report also identified some parts that could be reused.
The Jasper Community Arts Commission has been vocal about its support for the cultural center. The commission is looking at forming a nonprofit that would help raise money for the project. But eventually, the commission and nonprofit group would have to know how much the city will contribute to determine how much money needs to be raised.
“We think that it’s a huge step toward growth and expansion and forward thinking,” JCAC President Mike Jones told the council Wednesday night. “The library board needs to know where you stand on the project. That’s one of the reasons we’re here.”
Jones also mentioned cost, which, according to calculations coming from the library board, could be about $6.5 million, which is cheaper than the $12 million price tag the arts commission had in 2012 for upgrading the existing arts center on College Avenue.
But it will still cost. And it would be another expense for the city.
“You have a lot of things on your plates,” Jones said, acknowledging the other projects and expenses the city covers. “We understand that. We want to help with (the cost of the cultural center) by having a fundraiser.”
Jones said the commission is willing to work at raising money for the project but wants to find out first how much the city will provide.
“I don’t expect a decision tonight,” Jones said, adding this morning that there is a building fund for the center while noting the fund contains only about $100,000.
Each councilman at the meeting — Councilman Greg Schnarr was absent — said he liked the idea overall.
“I feel good about this. I want to support it,” Councilman Randy Buchta said. “But we have to be able to afford it.”
Jones mentioned using some of the city’s economic development income tax (EDIT) money for the project. And if the city should win the America's Best Communities contest in which it is competing, some of the winnings could be used for the project, Jones said. The three prizes are $1 million, $2 million and $3 million.
“I think this is something that can be really unique for our community,” Councilman Kevin Manley said. “But you have to understand, at this level, we still have to get into the dollars and cents at some point and time. We have so many projects up in the air at this time. One thing we’re not going to do, or at least I’m not going to vote for it, is spending every bit of our EDIT money.”
Councilman Dave Prechtel added that the project would have to pass a public referendum before it can continue.
“We can say that we support this,” he noted, “but you do have to do a referendum.”
That referendum could come up on the November 2016 ballot.
In addition, by the time funding would be determined, at least three councilmen — Prechtel, Schmidt and Howard — will no longer be on the board, as they are not running for re-election this year.
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