Editor’s note: The following information has been submitted for publication by the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation. This story was originally published in the foundation’s “May 2021 Quarterly Update.”
The Fort Atkinson Community Foundation (FACF) is excited to announce it has issued a $2.75 million challenge grant to the Badgerland After School Enrichment (BASE) program to help purchase and renovate the old W.D. Hoard printing press building on Edward Street in order to transform it into a permanent home for the BASE program, provide a community recreation space, and house a new Teen Center for Fort Atkinson youth.
Not only would this 37,000-square-foot facility be a transformative asset for the BASE program, combined with the city of Fort Atkinson’s acquisition of the neighboring Loeb Lorman parcels, the planned future extension of the bike path along the abandoned railroad corridor, and the popular new skate park in nearby Ralph Park, it could be a key component in an exciting revitalization and transformation of a blighted area of our city.
The “challenge” portion of the grant means that in order to receive FACF’s $2.75 million grant, BASE must first raise $2 million toward the project. The overall price tag of the project is just over $8 million, which includes eventually raising $3 million for an endowed fund to help cover the cost of operating the facility.
BASE Executive Director Alicia Norris and the BASE Board of Directors are currently organizing their fundraising materials so stay tuned for more exciting information arriving over the next few weeks, including news about how we can all help make this happen.
Should this grant be awarded, it would be the largest in FACF’s history, surpassing the $1.9 million matching grant awarded to the Fort Atkinson Historical Society for the 2007 Hoard Museum Legacy Project and the $1.5 million matching grant awarded to the City of Fort Atkinson for the Dwight Foster Public Library’s Foster Growth Project in 2010.
To learn more about this project as it develops, visit: https://www.basefortatkinson.org/futurehome.
With the help of a Fort Atkinson Community Foundation Challenge Grant, the 37,000-square-foot former W.D. Hoard printing press building on Edward Street, pictured, could become a new permanent home for BASE and a community teen center.
Artist renditions depict how a new BASE program and community teen center building might look. The projected cost of the full renovation is $8 million. The Fort Atkinson Community Foundation is offering a challenge grant of $2.75 million to help cover the cost. As part of the grant, BASE must raise $2 million. Another $3 million would also need to be raised to create an endowed fund to help cover operating expenses.
Photo and renditions supplied.
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