Efforts in the small community of Gustavus to build a community center got a big boost from the Rasmuson Foundation.
Kathy Streveler is the president of a local nonprofit behind the effort. She said it began in 2008 when a parcel near the town’s most prominent intersection hit the market.
“There was 8 acres of property in the middle of town that went up for sale,” she recalled. “And so seven of us good friends would be driving by that field thinking, ‘What’s going to happen?’ It’s right in the middle of town, a beautiful spot, and we did not want to see it turn into who-knows-what.”
The Gustavus Community Center nonprofit was born.
“We started a big fundraising effort back then and we bought that property — $254,000 we raised locally, entirely locally,” Streveler said.
Flash forward nearly a decade and ambitions for a $1.4 million, 3,200-square-foot community center that seats 200 – about half of Gustavus’ year-round population – is closer to reality.
Streveler says there’s no public funding. The nonprofit still needs to raise about $300,000 in cash or equivalent in sweat equity by the end of the year for the Rasmuson Foundation to release the $400,000 grant.
“One of the ways we’re looking at closing that funding gap is that all the local contractors and carpenters, of which there are a lot, are willing to help do this project at reduced cost,” she said.
A community fundraiser concert at Sunnyside Market‘s beer garden will be held Tuesday. Juneau’s Annie Bartholomew is opening for Austin blues guitarist Jackie Venson.
Full disclosure: Annie Bartholomew is employed by KTOO.