Only five Kansas projects were approved for the maximum $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund Grant this year.
Count the Colonial Fox Theatre among them.
Colonial Fox Theatre Foundation members found out this week that they were recipients of the Heritage Trust Fund Grant through the Kansas Historical Society. Out of 65 eligible applicants, 22 projects were selected, with just five earning the maximum allocation of $90,000.
“With so many worthwhile projects, the board considered only partially funding some in order to further stretch the appropriation,” said Vonnie Corsini, CFTF president. “The fact that the CFT received full funding on its first attempt to get the grant is amazing. It speaks to the merit and urgent need of the project.”
The grants will be released in July, allowing the CFTF to start much-needed work fixing the roof and tuckpointing. Corsini said the need for that work was obvious, which contributed to the Colonial Fox’s chances of receiving the grant.
“Rachel Patterson was up on the roof taking pictures for the application,” Corsini said. “The pictures were great, but terrible at the same time. They really showed the need for the improvements, which helped our cause. It was so amazingly descriptive of the bad state of the roof.”
The Colonial Fox also received letters of support from Pittsburg’s mayor, city manager and local business leaders.
Still, Corsini said members were cautiously optimistic through the application process.
“It’s so highly competitive,” Corsini said. “I was always optimistic. I’m that kind of a person. But everyone kept saying that it was so hard to get this grant. I was confident, but you know that you never get this grant on your first time applying. The fact that we were funded the full amount was amazing.”
The grant is designed to cover 80 percent of the cost of the project, with the entity picking up the other 20 percent.
“We wanted to get as much benefit from the grant as we could,” Corsini said. “At the same time, we didn’t want to overburden ourselves with having to come up with a huge amount of matching money.”
She said the CFTF’s architect, Bill Morris, said the first project, in terms of needs, would be stabilizing the building. Corsini said the grant would help immensely with the project, funding most of the estimated $125,000 project.
Overall, the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review handed out more than $1.2 million in grants for 2008. Those grants will be released in July. The four other projects to earn the full $90,000 allocation were the Anderson County Courthouse, Lincoln School in Atchison, Topeka High School and the Atchison County Memorial Hall.
“It’s a pretty select group,” Corsini said. “The state of Kansas is amazing in terms of encouraging preservation, in terms of tax credits and grants. We’re glad that we were able to receive help.”
• The Colonial Fox Theatre Foundation would like to invite Pittsburg residents out to view the theater this Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The tours will be regularly scheduled each second Sunday of the month.
Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134
PITTSBURG —
