PORT TOWNSEND — The concept of a “makers square,” an artistic center located in the middle of Fort Worden State Park, got a boost this week with the awarding of a $1 million grant.
The grant will fund the transformation of a group of random buildings into a cohesive multi-functional space, said the executive director of the Fort Worden Lifelong Learning Center Public Development Authority.
“We’ve been fortunate in getting some very large gifts,” said the director, Dave Robison, who is managing the renovation.
“Fort Worden has a lot of friends who are really excited about it becoming a national model for arts and education.”
In May 2014, the public development authority took over management of the campus portion of the 432-acre park with the intention of developing a lifelong learning center, leaving the rest of Fort Worden under the management of State Parks.
Upcoming renovation
The space to be renovated is located on the western end of the campus and is to house workshop, classroom and studio spaces, Robison said.
At least nine underutilized buildings will be turned into a cluster dedicated to visual, performance, industrial and culinary arts programs, he added.
Arts hub
“This is a tremendous opportunity to transform an iconic state park into an ‘arts-centric’ hub of creativity, discovery and social entrepreneurship,” Robison said.
The grant from the Camilla Chandler Foundation in Los Angeles will be used as a partial match to a $3 million grant from the Sage Foundation.
The public development authority plans to build on the success of securing the two foundation grants to leverage additional public and private funding in the spring of 2016, Robison said.
If the group is unable to raise the full $3 million, it will receive a lesser match, something Robison said will not happen.
“We will raise this money,” he said.
Makers square
The makers square area is defined by several buildings that are scheduled for renovation.
The only two buildings that will maintain their current function is the Madrona MindBody Institute at its northeast corner and the Port Townsend School of the Arts in its center.
It is bordered on the east by Building 305, which will be converted into an arts and performance space, and Building 304, the proposed site for a culinary institute.
Three buildings, 324, 308 and 309, are currently unoccupied and could be easily upgraded to hold artist studios or retail space, according to Centrum Executive Director Rob Birman.
“This area has the highest percentage of empty buildings on campus,” he said.
“No one could move in tomorrow, but with a little bit of investment, they’d be ready for a tenant.”
Birman said he likes the proposal to tear up the asphalt, currently a parking area, and replace it with landscaping that will make the area more hospitable.
That area will become the focal point of makers square, providing a social meeting space and a place to hold special events, he said.
“Visitors will be able to see what’s going on at the woodworking school, the art school or the culinary institute, and it will give the tenants a place to show their wares,” Birman said.
“Visitors to Fort Worden will be able to taste, purchase or sample things that are made right here, whether it’s food or art or a piece of furniture.”
Robison said Fort Worden upgrades reflect a domino effect. For instance, the construction of a new State Parks maintenance facility frees up the current maintenance center, Building 305, for renovation,
Robison expects the renovation of 305 will begin in January and will be a three-year process and that, once completed, it will draw in new enterprise.
“This gift has provided us with tremendous confidence, and its momentum will likely help us attract other tenants or future partners that want to be part of the new makers square,” he said.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
