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Date: 2/22/2022
EASTHAMPTON – There is a classic fundraising thermometer sign outside of CitySpace that shows the progress of the fundraising effort that will help transform the historic Town Hall building into an arts center for the 21st Century.
Burns Maxey, the president of the board for CitySpace, explained to Reminder Publishing the nonprofit organization started the effort to bring in $6.9 million in 2019 and despite the pandemic, the organization is moving toward its goal.
She said the funding will be used to make the second floor not only accessible to the public but turn it into a performance area.
To date $4.38 million has been raised and when the organization reaches $5.9 million, Maxey said the construction should start. The organization believes that will happen at the end of this year.
Local businesses and foundations have supported the effort. BankESB has pledged $150,000 to the campaign and the Beveridge Family Foundation has donated $35,000. Finck and Perras Insurance donated $15,000. There is a bond bill of $750,000 waiting for Gov. Charlie Baker’s approval, Maxey said.
She noted the stained glass and carved wood found in the former Town Hall and said, “It’s a gem of a building.”
The renovations will include a new accessible entryway, a lobby, an elevator to all floors and the balcony, a new box office, a green room for performers, office space, flexible seating and staging, light, sound and projection equipment and efficient heating and cooling systems.
According to the CitySpace website, the former Town Hall built in 1869 was “dedicated as a memorial to the fallen Union soldiers of Easthampton.” The building was used as Town Hall until 2003 when the municipal offices were relocated. It is listed on the National and State Historic Register.
In 2006, CitySpace was granted a lease by the city for the first floor of Old Town Hall and established as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) by founders Will Bundy, owner of Eastworks, and Ed Check. Big Red Frame became the first tenant in 2007, followed by Easthampton City Arts and Flywheel Arts Collective. The renovations to the first floor were completed in 2015.
Maxey sees the continued renovation of the building in several ways. She said it is more than just an Easthampton project, but something that will benefit the arts scene in Western Massachusetts, giving artist and performers another venue.
The central location in the region is an advantage, she said.
The direct benefit to Easthampton, she explained, is it’s an economic development project that could help attract attention to the city. She noted there are seven empty storefronts near the building.
In the space where Flywheel Arts Collective once was, Maxey said the intention is to use that area of the building as an incubator for artists and businesses.
The pandemic has encouraged the current tenants in the building, such as The Big Red Frame Shop and Easthampton City Arts to “pivot,” adjusting its public offerings, Maxey said.
With 10 sold-out performances at CitySpace the economic impact would be $100,000, she said. Maxey added there would be more than that each year.
“This project is a no-brainer,” she said.