Last week, the Eden Prairie City Council accepted the donation of a building that will serve as an art center for the city. It was estimated that the start-up costs for the facility would be $326,000. The goal is for the art center to be up and running by January of 2009. Eden Prairie News e-mailed Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer to find out what’s next in the process. The following are his responses:  

Q. Now that the council has accepted the donation, what’s next?

In addition to strategizing and contacting fundraising and grant sources, city staff has been meeting with contractors, surveyors and architects to begin drawing renovation plans and identifying the most cost-effective methods for making the necessary upgrades.

 Q. Will there be a “Friends of the Art Center” type of group forming?

We are currently developing a fundraising plan and process. Part of our plan is to meet with local foundations and fundraising organizations to determine how the Art Center might fit into their funding plans and ensure strong coordination and collaboration. In addition to organized groups, we will be counting on private donations to help make this amenity a success. If people are interested in contributing to the Art Center, they should feel free to contact me directly.

 Q. Is there a way the public can become involved in the planning process?

Yes! Although the Arts Task Force did a phenomenal job developing and presenting recommendations to the City Council, there are still opportunities to help shape the types of programs that will be offered. Laurie Obiazor, our recreation services manager, would welcome feedback from interested residents. During the task force process, we received many calls from people who were excited about the opportunities and had suggestions for the types of classes that they would be interested in; that input helped shape the task force report.

Q. What are the main upgrades that will be done to the building?

On the outside, we will need to expand the parking. Currently there is only room to park six cars. Inside the building, renovations are necessary to convert the building from a private facility to one that will be open to the public. We will need to add a second restroom, replace some of the doors with doors that meet public facility code requirements for entering and exiting, modify some of the air-handling equipment, add kilns and pottery wheels and convert some of the carpet to tile.

 Q. When will the council next receive an update on the art center?

 If all of our planning efforts stay on schedule, I believe that we should have an update for the City Council near the end of May, with a formal request for authorization to begin parts of the renovation in early June.

 To offer feedback or to find out more information, contact Lotthammer at 952-949-8440 or Laurie Obiazor at 952-949-8455.