MINOT – The Minot Area Council of the Arts received approval from the Minot City Council earlier this week to make improvements to the Carnegie Center building downtown.
MACA took stewardship of the maintenance and scheduling for the Carnegie Center in September of 2021, though the City still owns the property and building. The Carnegie Center is a vintage building, with a garden in its front yard, wherein events can be hosted. MACA has been working to improve the building since last year as the number of rentals for the space has been increasing. Contractor estimates place the cost of improvements at approximately $59,000.
Justin Anderson, executive director of MACA, presented a long list of all the improvements that he said would need to be made at some point, the cost of which added up to about $385,000.
Anderson identified three project priorities that would need to be done sooner which are fixing the destruction and mess caused by pigeons, creating better access to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and improving aesthetics and functions such as refinishing the hardwood floor, fixing window coverings, and adding additional chairs for larger gatherings.
Anderson told the Council there were 134 reservations for the center last year. MACA also uses the center for art events.
“We’ve had some youth events at the Carnegie Center, showcasing some of our fine young talent in this great City,” said Anderson. “We’ve also hosted some cultural exchange workshops. We’ve had start-up Minot classes and networking events, some live music and collaborative art events.”
City Manager Harold Stewart said City staff has yet to come up with a funding source, but the funding would most likely require a budget amendment.
“This is a City building that has endured previously decades of neglect and not getting updates and regular maintenance,” said Councilman Mark Janzter. “It seems to me we spent several hundred thousand dollars a few years ago to make sure that the foundation and cracking that was taking place on one corner got repaired. I think it’s important that we go forward on some of these needed improvements so that this can be a viable asset to the community.”
The Council voted unanimously to fund the improvements at $59,000 and Anderson said he would like to see the priorities done this year. The motion also included fundraising options to help pay for the improvements.
Out of the revenue that MACA received from renting out the center, the City received 20%. MACA uses 80% of funds to maintain the building and the City uses 20% for part of the utility costs. David Lakefield, City finance director, said the City has received $2,355 in 2022 and year to date in 2023 from Carnegie revenue. He added that the number does not cover all the utility costs.
