2012 CPA Report #56#56 – Courthouse Renovation - Hampshire Council of Governments
Courthouse Renovation
2012 CPA Annual Report
City of Northampton
Summary:
The funding that was awarded in 2012 will be used as the ‘Cash Match’ for our 2013 application for funding from the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s Massachusetts Preservation Projects
Fund (MPPF). We did not have sufficient matching funds in time to apply for the 2012 Round of the MPPF but over the past year, we have been able to acquire enough capital to supply an
adequate cash match with our submission, which will increase our chances of securing funding. The awarded funds from the Northampton CPA have not been utilized yet since a higher amount
of funding would give us greater capacity to accomplish the most pressing repairs.
The Council hosted a successful silent auction in order to fundraise for the project. The silent auction was partly a collaboration between the Council and the UMASS Amherst Special
Collections and University Archives. 44 documents were selected from the historic collection of records that the Council donated to the UMASS Amherst Libraries last year and these documents
were reprinted to be sold for the auction. The auction included work from local artists in addition to the limited edition prints. The auction celebrated the history of Hampshire County
and brought attention to the historic courthouse. Although the auction ended in September, the Council continues to sell historic map reproductions. The proceeds from the auction and
map sales will be used in conjunction with the CPA funding the Council has received for the project in order to leverage funding from the MPPF. We will submit our funding application
at the beginning of March and we will be notified of the award by early summer 2013.
Also this year, the Council hired a Development Consultant, Financial Development Agency of Amherst, to perform a fundraising feasibility study in order to analyze other possible fundraising
avenues for the project. The fees associated with hiring the developer were covered by a donation from the Grousbeck Fund awarded in 2008 towards the restoration of the Courthouse. The
fundraising study will allow the Council to develop a sustainable plan for financing the project.
Timeline:
2013:
March 8: Submission of MHC MPPF, using fundraising proceeds and CPA funding as ‘Cash Match’ amount
June 15: Notification of funding from MHC MPPF
July 15: RFP for Architectural firms that focus on historical preservation distributed
September 15: Firm chosen for project
November 15: Assessment of property, feasibility study
2014:
January 15: Work plan development – prioritization of repairs
March 1: Start on Stage 1 repairs
June 30: Stage 1 repairs complete