During the past two years MoCoArts firmed up its plans to build a new Educational Arts Center in downtown Keene. These plans included an exciting building design that would accommodate our program needs for the next ten years, one that uniquely fit the character and history of the site we expected to purchase within the Railroad Development Land Project managed by the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation in downtown Keene.
Our Feasibility Study (completed November, 2007) enthusiastically endorsed our intention to build this center, asked that we delay our capital campaign until the YMCA completed theirs, and encouraged us to take immediate steps to secure this site. As a result we assiduously pursued this opportunity with MEDC, seeking an agreement that would provide reasonable security for our financial supporters and also meet our requirements for parking and green space. On March 27, 2008, after months of negotiation, the Board of MoCo Arts announced that it was unable to reach closure on a satisfactory agreement within the time frame imposed by MEDC.
While we deeply regretted this outcome, we remain firmly committed to our original goals and have renewed our search for another site for our arts center. Our transition plans designed to make sure that we can meet community-driven demand for our programming are fully in place. This June we will move our adult fitness programs into newly refurbished space (currently under construction) in the MacMillin complex on Elm Street. We are continuing our work on the recommendations that came out of our feasibility study. And above all we remain highly optimistic and deeply grateful to all who continue to support us not just in our desire to build a community arts center but to locate that center in the heart of downtown Keene.
