Donnelly College, 608 N. 18th, has initiated the first phase of a campus improvement plan – the most comprehensive in the institution’s 63-year history.
Nearly 200 people – including students, faculty, staff, area residents, community leaders and elected officials – gathered Wednesday, Sept. 12th to hear details about the new Donnelly Community Event Center.
The Center, scheduled to open in spring 2013, will double the College’s event programming space and serve as a venue for meetings and campus events.
In addition to serving various needs of the Donnelly community, this new 3,196 square-foot facility will provide much needed meeting and event space for community organizations and non-profits.
When finished, it will accommodate 200 people and feature a catering kitchen, state-of-the-art multi-media technology, a circle drive drop-off and outdoor courtyard.
“Donnelly has a long history of investing in our community and in our youth,” said Joe Reardon, Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government. “It’s clear today that intentional efforts by institutions like Donnelly, along with companies like Google, are building a stronger future for Wyandotte County.”
Referencing an announcement made earlier that day that KCK was named one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, Reardon said: “KCK stands at an amazing platform to move young people forward and help youth discover their full potential. Donnelly College is helping us move forward on this journey.”
Funding for the Donnelly Community Event Center is coming from multiple sources including grants and donations from DST Systems, Inc., J.E. Dunn Construction Co, The Department of Housing and Urban Development, Steven Riedel, an anonymous donor and others.
The project was awarded $200,000 in Community Service Tax Credits by the Kansas Department of Commerce. The last phase of fund raising will focus on distribution of remaining tax credits.
Qualified donors can receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of their donation against their Kansas Income Tax liability.
The tax credits expire December 31, 2012.
“This project is the most ambitious development effort launched since the College’s founding by Bishop Donnelly and Sister Jerome Keeler in 1949,” said William H. Dunn, Jr., Donnelly College Trustee and co-chair of the project’s capital campaign. “We’re pleased to be investing in the future of Donnelly and in KCK’s urban core because the College’s diverse student body represents our world – and our future. Here at Donnelly, students are getting skills and tools that will pave the way for future success.”
More information about the Event Center is available at Donnelly.edu/eventcenter.
