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ABOUT THE FRIENDS |
ABOUT THE FRIENDS The “Friends” group was formed first on an informal basis in 2006. Then in 2008, the board established themselves as a nonprofit to aid in the restoration of the auditorium. It is the mission of the Friends to: • provide a safe, attractive and technically up-to-date performance space for the Spencer Community School District and the community at large; • encourage area children to grow in their appreciation of the arts by the exposure to and participation in the performing, literary and visual arts; • aid the Spencer Community School District in maintaining the architectural elements of the auditorium. The vision of the Friends is to enhance the cultural opportunities for the Spencer area with the restoration of the auditorium, a historic building. What WE have Accomplished • Incorporated as a nonprofit organization with bylaws and a board of directors • Met with auditorium specialists and managers, architects, and engineers to determine the best way to proceed in restoring the Auditorium and finding a new use for the attached classroom building • Toured potential partners through the classroom building and recruited Community Housing Initiatives (CHI) as a partner to restore the exterior of the building to its original appearance and convert the upper two floors into affordable housing • Began public education and marketing for the project • Submitted the only proposal for the school building, which resulted in a condominium agreement under which CHI would own the exterior and the upper two floors of the classroom building, the school would retain ownership of the Auditorium for the foreseeable future, and another partner (or partners) would be found to take over the first floor and lower level of the classroom building • Submitted a successful application to have the old Spencer High School and Auditorium listed on the National Register of Historic Places • Got the Auditorium included as a component in Spencer’s Iowa Great Places project • Completed the predesign study process to determine what elements the school district and Friends are each responsible for funding • We continue to resent information to the service groups and other stakeholders (SMU, Rotary, Kiwanis, City, SPACE, SCT, and Event Center) • We are working to define the role of the Friends and how we fit into the long-term use of the auditorium, including plans for management of the building BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
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Page design by Friends of the Old Spencer High School Auditorium |