Flagler County wants its new Nexus Center, known as the south side library, to be an event center that will compete with the Palm Coast Community Center and the Hilton Garden Inn for weddings, conferences, seminars and other uses.
The Nexus Center serves three functions under one roof: the library, the community room, and the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, which is segregated in its own segment of the building.
“Keep in mind this is not the library’s Community Room, because it’s outside of the library. The library is overseeing it and managing it. It really is the county’s,” Library Director Holly Albanese said. As such, it gives the county a venue as large as the largest room at the Palm Coast Community Center: 2,500 square feet, with a similar capacity of 224 people. The largest room at the Hilton is 2,200 square feet, with capacity for 200 people.
Albanese researched numerous libraries, community centers and related venues. Jacksonville Public Library and Boca Raton Public Library, for example, have their own event venues. The Palm Coast Community Center and the Hilton Garden Inn “would be our direct competition,” she said.
Channel Side, the private venue in Palm Coast, was not part of the comparative analysis, though Channel Side’s rates would have been “significantly higher,” Commissioner Pam Richardson said. “They offer a water view, but not a phenomenal water view. We don’t have the view, but we do have the space and the comfort.”
Palm Coast may not see the Nexus Center as competition so much as a complementary addition. Asked what percentage of time the Sunshine Room is booked at the Palm Coast Community Center, a spokesperson said: “The rental requests vary so we can’t land on an actual percentage of usage, but there are times that we have to turn away rentals due to other large rentals being booked at the same time, so having additional options in the community will be great.”
Based on the fee schedule Albanese presented to the County Commission today, the community room at the Nexus Center would be rented for $200 an hour (compared to $150 an hour for the Sunshine Room at the Palm Coast Community Center, and $200 at the Jacksonville Public Library for half its multipurpose room, with a capacity of 200). There is no discount for renting the room for up to eight hours. The cost would be $1,600 for that length. (Clarification: An earlier version of this article, reporting on the figures in the county’s presentation, had cited a figure of $300 an hour for the Hilton Garden Inn. The general manager at the hotel noted subsequently that the price starts at $200 and is not charged by the hour, but “based on the needs of each individual event.” The general manager also noted that some of the information in the county’s presentation about the hotel was no longer current.)
Renting the pre-function gallery–the long, wide corridor from the entrance of the library to the main stacks room–would be possible only after hours, and would cost $100 an hour. (The Jacksonville Public Library calls its lobby a “gallery.”) “I see that as an art gallery myself,” Richardson, who sits on the Flagler County Cultural Council, said. “I see that as an art wall. As people come in, that might be a good leasing opportunity for them to be able to display art there too.”
Renting the portico, an elegant space that seats 200 in front of the Nexus Center (despite the parking lot view) would cost $150 an hour, also only after hours and without a break for additional hours. Use of the kitchen would cost just $25 an hour. Using audiovisual equipment would cost $25 an hour as well (as opposed to the originally proposed flat fee of $25.)
“Essentially trying to maximize and look at what the potential requests would be for use of space,” Albanese said, “and to make sure that we’re maximizing the revenue so that we can offset tax dollars.”
The Flagler County Education Foundation is hosting an event for the district’s teacher and employee of the year in the Community Room. The gallery space will be used for a photo booth, cocktail hour and bartender, Albanese said.
In keeping with its multipurpose design, the Community Room can be arranged in different ways to seat a different number of people, depending on the type of event.
The community room may be subdivided. Monday through Friday only half the room can be rented, because the county uses the other half to serve meals for the elderly. Half the room seats 96 people. It would be rented for $100 an hour, or $800 for eight hours.
Nonprofits and government organizations will get a 50 percent discount on all fees, but only Monday through Friday until 5 p.m. There is no discount after 5 p.m.
The county was inspired by Palm Coast’s promotional brochure for the Community Center to develop its own, along with a promotional video. Some of the promotional material was repurposed from previous projects, when the county was pitching a $750,000 grant request to the Tourist Development Council to remodel Island House at Princess Place Preserve into an events venue. “I figured I could use it, since we didn’t do the renovation for the Island House, that I would use it here,” Albanese said.
“It’s whatever the commission wants,” Albanese said of the rates. “If you want something different, you want something higher, we can do that. We’re just managing and overseeing it.”
“We don’t want to watch it sit empty either,” Richardson said.
In comparison, the community room at the existing public library branch in Palm Coast is booked solid for a year, Albanese said. “We have so much demand for use of that room because it’s free space.”
Spaces inside the actual library at the Nexus Center will be treated differently, and overseen by the Library Board of Trustees. For example, based on a proposed policy, the library’s innovation lab may be used at no charge, the podcast booth may be used for up to two hours at no charge on any given day. Meetings in the innovation lab must have at least 10 people to secure a reservation.
Staffing during events remains a bit unclear. “It’s mostly going to be me, for now,” Albanese said, with assistance from library staff during regular library hours. “If it’s during a time when the library is not open, then potentially no, there would not be somebody right there at that moment in time,” Albanese said. “But I would give them my contact information.” There may also be a requirement on renters for security, at the renters’ expense.
The commission will revisit the fee schedule when it reviews usage for the two libraries in about six months.
Dan Mundrean says
Information published in regards to the Hilton Garden Inn is inaccurate.