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Fund raising for Gateway Visitor Center underway (continued) |
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Fund raising for Gateway Visitor Center underway (continued) |
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As you know, we have been operating the Gateway Visitor Center at this location since August of 1996. The attendance during our first full year of operation was 45,736 visitors. Our last fiscal year ending April 30, 2001 saw an increase to 65,696 and this year we expect to break 95,000 by May 1. Estimated to cost 1.5 million dollars, we have been encouraged by grants totaling $775,000 from the Federal Highway Department (TEA-21 funds) and the Colorado Department of Highways (rest area funds). We currently have requests for funding pending at a number of Colorado foundations and we anticipate some financial assistance for the interpretive portions of the facility from the State Historical Fund (gambling revenues). The private foundations have requested that we illustrate the local business support of this undertaking by raising $25,000 from Georgetown businesses. As of January 30, this effort has already yielded some $20,000 from the Georgetown business community. If you would like to make a pledge to this fund, or learn more about this project, please contact Ron Neely, HGI President, or Dana Abrahamson, Executive Director, at the Hamill House at 303-569-2840. |
The operation of the center will be funded by sales in the retail area. We would like to thank the many Georgetown businesses that have given generously of their advice on retail so we don't directly compete with items already being sold in town. There will be some overlap, but we expect that we will be generating far more business throughout Georgetown than we might take away. Operating costs will be significant. Staffing, in addition to our many volunteers, water and sewer fees, utilities, maintenance and maintenance supplies (a lot of paper towels for 90,000 visitors), property taxes, and sales tax on items that are not within our mission as defined by the IRS, as well as telephone service, insurance and the usual costs of doing business will be substantial. Our thanks also to our legal counsel and to our retail consultants for making sure we are well within the local, state and federal rules and regulations. The black and white illustrations shown hardly do justice
to the proposed building; color renderings, which add considerably to
the style of the building, are available for view at the Hamill House.
Designed by the local firm of Long-Hoeft Architects, in consort with the
design committee of HGI, the building is red brick with a dark gray roof
and though it is a modern building, it evokes pleasant memories of an
old school house, train station or church. |
Whatever it brings to your mind, we believe you will find it to be a fine addition to the entryway area of Georgetown and a fitting replacement for the 1960's service station from which we are currently operating. Subject, of course, to funding, we hope to have construction underway sometime this summer. What we are going to do for restrooms during the eight months to a year of construction is yet to be resolved. In any event, one of our goals is to increase the number of visitors into Georgetown and, in so doing, to help improve business upon which many of us so heavily rely for a living. The subsequent sales tax revenue to the Town and County will similarly improve. The non-profit organizations in the Landmark District cannot prosper without a prosperous business community. If you have any questions, or would like to donate to this project, contact us at (303)569-2840. |