With construction of the Collegedale Commons multi-use town square set to commence this fall, the city of Collegedale has committed $1.5 million to Phase 1 of the three-phase, $15 million project.
The funds, approved by the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 6, bring the total amount raised for Phase 1 to about $2.25 million, said David Barto, director of the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation (CTF). The goal for the first phase is $4 million, he added.
The $4 million would cover all the site work, from landscaping and paving to curbs and gutters, as well as a shade market, two bathroom pavilions, a storage area and garbage receptacles, Barto said.
Barto hopes to push past and actually raise about $6.5 million, which would allow for early construction of a sound stage, an estimated $750,000 expense, as well as covered markets, which he said would be about another $1.5 million.
While Barto said the project has some additional large donors who may help the CTF get closer to those numbers, Collegedale City Manager Ted Rogers said that funding is not yet guaranteed and he hopes the city's contribution will encourage others to invest in the project.
"This is our share of the seed money to hopefully attract more funding," Rogers said.
Barto said the foundation will be doing a large push this fall to raise funds from large companies, law firms and accounting firms downtown, and he hopes the city's contribution will show these and other potential donors how serious everyone is, not only about funding but about the Commons itself.
The cultural and recreational center, to be located adjacent to Collegedale City Hall, will give all East Hamilton-area residents 56,000 square feet of open-air farmers market space, a music center that can seat 5,000, and much more.
"We need the Commons," Barto said. "It'll be good for the region, [and] it'll be great for the city because it'll give this city a center."
For more information about Collegedale Commons or to donate, visit collegedale.foundation.