Monthly Archives: October 2015

Duvall Foundation for the Arts (DFA) is going to deliver the Community Arts Center. We have a project team that has a successful track record of delivering complex projects.

The current goal of the project is to build a new building that harkens back to the Thayer barn yet meets current codes for public assembly and future community needs for a modern Art Center. The old Thayer Barn is the big yellow barn on the west side of 203 toward the south end of town. DFA, with the financial support of the community and 4Culture, had Cook Structural Movers take the barn apart because it was structurally failing and falling down.  Architectural elements of the barn and barn materials will be reused in the new Art Center to the extent practical.

The property for the new facility is being donated by Westcott Homes.

DFA has entered a development agreement with Westcott Homes and the City of Duvall.  The land use decisions for the project have been made by the City of Duvall and the Hearings Examiner including SEPA compliance, site plan approval/preliminary plat, and shoreline approval. The appeal periods for these critical land use decisions have passed and no appeals were filed.

DFA has signed a contract with Westcott Homes for them to build the site infrastructure including the entry road, the curbs, gutters, sidewalks, trails, sewer, water, stormwater and power. These critically important project elements have been designed by a team of consultants that were paid for by Westcott Homes. The designs for the infrastructure are currently under review by the City and DFA. The infrastructure described above, along with a parking lot is expected to be constructed in summer 2016.

The design of the exterior for the new building is complete and has been approved by the City of Duvall. The approved design was donated by Milbrandt Architects and was based on the Thayer Barn, other barns in the valley, current codes, future community needs, and input from the project team and members of the community.

Recently the team applied for a grant asking for money to pay for 1) the project infrastructure, 2) a cover that will last several years to protect the salvaged barn materials, 3) design services for the new facility, and 4) permitting costs for the new building. We won’t know until about January 2016 if we have been successful with that important grant application.

The next steps on the project include:

• Continued fund raising for the project. (ongoing)

• Finalization of the construction drawings for the site infrastructure (fall 2015 and winter 2016).

• Weather protection for the salvaged barn materials. (Hopefully winter 2016 through completion of the new facility).

• Design of the building interior to meet community needs and detailed cost estimating for the building (Early spring 2016 through 2017).

• Groundbreaking for infrastructure (Spring 2016).

• Construction of infrastructure (Summer 2016).

• Beginning use of improved property for outdoor events (Summer 2017).

• When the balance of the money is raised to construct the new facility, then the new building will be constructed on the improved site.

How can I get involved?

 Become a DFA member by signing up on our website. Membership is free and it helps us show community support.  DuvallArts.Org

Sign up on our website as a volunteer. Go to DuvallArts.Org, go to barn tab, sign up as a volunteer.

Drop in on our Saturday meetings at the Duvall Visitor Center between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. We are there most Saturdays.

How can I get more information?

Go to the DFA website at DuvallArts.Org, go to barn tab, and look for frequently asked questions.  Come to our events, come to the visitor center on a Saturday between 11am and 1 pm.

The City of Duvall has decided to focus on the Arts as one of its critical strategies for economic development. As part of the 2015 comprehensive plan update the City of Duvall hired an economic development consultant that identified the need for an iconic destination.  Duvall’s comprehensive plan currently envisions a destination community with an improved main street, Snoqualmie Trail, Snoqualmie River, and river front parks. This Community Arts Center will tie Main Street to the Trail and River at the south end of town which will extend the pedestrian connections between the River, Trail and Town.

Arts and events at this facility are needed and wanted by all ages, new and long-time residents, bedroom community dwellers, farmers, loggers, students, and children; in short our whole community with all of its diversity. We will all be enjoying each other’s company through Art and Arts education.

DFA has held design meetings to gather community and user input to go directly into programming and design of the facility. The multi-room, multi-floor facility will provide space for galleries, indoor flexible performance hall, meeting rooms, gathering space, event space and class rooms, a total of approximately 10,000sqf. We will be holding more design input meetings so please look for those and try to join in.

The community will immediately realize benefit of this project including parking lot, graded and grassy property, and trails that will be constructed in the summer of 2016. We will be able to use the improved site for additional outdoor music and theater as early as summer of 2017. The Community Arts Center will be built at the site, but even before that happens, we will own and be able to use the grounds starting in summer of 2017.

The new facility will be managed by one and one-half full time staff people and many volunteers. The viability of this approach is demonstrated by the current 3 year operation of Duvall Visitor Center which is largely staffed by volunteers from this wonderful community.

Together we can do this for ourselves and for each other.

Mission: Duvall Foundation for the Arts Promotes Creativity, Diversity, and Cultural Awareness by Supporting the Arts and Arts Education in the Lower Snoqualmie Valley.

Project Need: Snoqualmie Valley is growing in numbers and diversity and the need for this type of a facility has been identified for over 20 years. DFA delivers a robust arts and scholarship program. However, the majority of our programs and events have to occur outside because there is a shortage of indoor space.

In order to expand on the delivery of our mission, we must create an indoor space dedicated to supporting the arts. The Community Art Center (Thayer Barn) will allow the community to gather for all forms of art throughout the year. Our programming now is in barns, parks, gardens, and restaurants. The Duvall Visitor Center, where we currently lease space is going to be sold.

Current Funding:  The Community raised $100,000 and we still have about $92,000.  We spent some of the money the Community raised along with $10,000 that 4Culture awarded to us for disassembly and recovery of architectural elements and materials from the Thayer Barn for use in new facility to the extent practical.

Next Steps for Funding:  DFA is now applying for a grant to pay for Shelter/Storage of these recovered materials. It is critically important to get materials under cover. We have applied for $95,000 for this element of the work and will not know until January 2016 if we will receive this money. The materials won’t be placed in the new building until the new building is constructed so the cover needs to last for multiple years.

DFA now has site control and contracted with Westcott Homes for installation of site infrastructure including stormwater, raingardens, water, sewer, power, access road, curbs, gutters, sidewalks. Designs for these items have been developed by a team of professionals and the designs are currently under review. These items are planned to be constructed in summer of 2016. A grant application has been submitted to cover DFA’s $120,000 share of these improvements. We won’t know until January 2016 if we will receive this money. If for some reason we don’t get this grant then we will have to have risen $28,000 additional dollars by spring of 2016 in order to keep the project on schedule. ($120,000 cost of infrastructure – $92,000 cash on hand = $28,000 still needed)

Milbrandt Architects donated architectural services for the building exterior. Based on these designs, the project has been through SEPA, SEPA appeals period, City approvals, Hearing Examiner’s approval, landuse appeal period, and master shoreline permitting. The next step is to do a full design of the building which will be done in concert with cost estimating for the construction and operation of the building to guide decision making. A grant has been submitted to cover these design costs which could be as much as $500,000.  We won’t know until January 2016 if we will receive this grant.

Visit DFA’s web site or Facebook page for the latest updates and to see how you can get involved. This project requires DFA to seek funding from regional sources, grants and individual contributions. To make a donation please donate online and designate your gift to the Community Art Center. www.duvallarts.org