It’s been long in coming–more than three years since foundation members toasted with champagne the planting of their sign in Town Center–but the Palm Coast Arts Foundation will host a ground-breaking for Phase I of the multi-phased project in Town Center on Central Avenue on Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. The public is invited.
The first phase will consist of a 32,000 square-foot open-air arts and culture pavilion center and a small enclosed venue that’ll double up as an event center for meetings and small events that the city and other civic, cultural or business groups can also use. The project should be completed in time for the foundation’s signature annual event, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Picnics and Pops concert, in spring.
The foundation has worked for many years toward developing the large parcel of land leased through Palm Coast government. The property is located on Central Avenue just east of the Epic theatres.
“The costs of developing on a commercial site even for non-profits like PCAF, are vastly different than one might find in new construction on a private lot,” PCAF President Sam Perkovich said in a release.
“The fill, grading, landscape design, landscaping, irrigation, sidewalks, will be completed literally days before our annual signature event, Picnic and Pops with the Jacksonville Symphony, on Sunday, May 1. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have the support of our local leaders and the community on this major improvement to Flagler County. It is with much appreciation that the City offered to provide permanent outdoor restroom facilities on the site for the anticipated event crowds.”
A campaign of $150-paver bricks will be launched at the ceremony. Anyone interested in personalizing a brick for the public walkway areas of the site is encouraged to contribute.
The project is being funded through grants. The Palm Coast Arts Foundation was awarded two Florida cultural affairs facilities grants for $250,000, with a third one pending for $150,000. All other funds received for the project come from the generosity of foundation members and other philanthropy. The full scope of the project will include the stage and roof covering, a large events center, and the center for the arts. These various phases are planned strategically over the next ten years, but they will be heavily dependent on substantial growth in Palm Coast’s population and economy.
Anyone interested in helping PCAF accelerate the project is asked to contact Nancy Crouch, Executive Director at 386.263.2991 or [email protected].
Layla says
In other words, the taxpayers here are paying for this.
john crafts says
Hey Layla, do you know what non-profit means? This project is solely funded by donations. NO public money is involved!!! Why don’t you join and find out for yourself. Support the arts!!
Sherry says
Thanks for speaking out, John!
Art is such a vital part of all healthy, advanced cultures and civilizations. Artistic passion celebrates life and beauty. How wonderful it is to behold human creations that most often represent positive aspects of human beings.
Now, if only we would be as supportive of the arts as we seem to be of baser human endeavors such as war.
YankeeExPat says
I am admittedly going off on a tangent on this one but, I think it is imperative that students have required instruction on Art, Music, Civic instruction and Physical Fitness. The goal is for well rounded citizens to fully appreciate and enjoy their intellect and freedom. Furthermore, attending school at a physical building with fellow students teaches social skills of communication, observation and experience. I know that these statements put the Home school advocates into the gnashing of teeth and the rending the clothes mode, but doing so does your children a disservice. Understandably there are circumstances where Home Schooling and On-Line education fill a very specific need for specific children. But, I would think long and hard as the risk/ benefits to possibly risking your child’s development of social skills. Your children will need to function in Society outside of the confines of home and family long after you are gone.
Anonymous says
Yankee…you obviously don’t know very much about home schooling! Kids can be taught at home, but be involved in many community activities and do very well in society. In fact, the lessons can be taught in much less time without the distractions of some of the unruly kids in school. The extra time in the day can be spent with other groups of home schoolers who involve their children in community services and they also learn how to work well with others and get things done in a productive manner. My kids have been home schooled, gone to public schools and Christian schools. They are successful adults with many friends, and my daughter works in one of the largest hospitals in Jax…so learn your facts!
Richard says
We as Palm Coast redidents should be so proud of the arts foundation for sticking to this project. Palm Coast needs this cultural element to enrich our children and to bring major corporations to our town. Corporations are looking or places where there is cultural enrichment for their employees and children. Let’s make our community the place to be. Hip hip hpray PCAF.
llllll says
Walk into a gas station and look at the girl working behind the counter with teeth rotting out of her mouth because some puck wants to hang his picture on the wall the Dont help pay so we can have clean drinking water they want their graphic artists to be able to design a label so more garbage can be crated anyone I’ve ever known in art is some sort of creep they get people drunk at their openings so they cantcsee whatvthere buying I hate people toopricks blaming the people they pay with their tax dollar is government artists are that smart they also hate people music for s fine but artas it now stands makes everyone lojok like jerkss
llllll says
Grants are not donations to the best of my knowledge you can do a lot of teeth for 250000
llllll says
The arts are insufficient they interfer with problems cause pollution if someone is making a account of history that’s fine but most of art is filled with troublemakers which is why at a timeany artists were homeless you need entertainment outside your home look at the condition of them s country shame on palm coast for buildingbamy more buildings in an uncertain changing world when they can’t Eben supply clean drinking water and have hideous electric lines running on beautiful properties destroying our natural landscape instead of using by school gical advancesvwasnt the town center enough they could put up tents for art and music the best concerts are outside there are many vacant spaces the Peabody is in Daytona what copycat how ridiculous to doublicate in a 15 minute ride there is so many better ways to spend money the building deparent had balls giving them a permit