Comment on Dreaming of Empire by Cris Telgard

I wish you the best of luck in reviving the old building and finding a home for the EACC. Up here in Leland we faced something similar when MSU decided to not use the Old Art Building for summer classes anymore. A group of folks organized, formed the Leelanau Community Cultural Center and, with the cooperation of Leland Township, the Old Art Building was leased from MSU. It’s used continuously for public and private events (rent helps pay for the building, etc)and now supports a full-time directors position. It’s a huge asset to the community in so many ways…providing a place for people to meet, take widely diverse classes, put on shows and special community events, and preserves a beautiful piece of land and a great old building. The most recent fundraising campaign was to put an addition on the building for storage, an office, and to make the stage more useable for performances. The vibrant and very busy Old Art Building also is good for business in Leland, as the many events bring people into town both day and night. I’d encourage the EACC to take a look at what’s happened up here and talk to Judy Livingston, the director, about her experience with this very successful community center.
Take a look at http://www.oldartbuilding.com
I hope Empire has similar success,
Cris