Here's What's New at Kaufman Auditorium...............
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Beautiful, Beautiful Bathrooms!
(Posted March 7, 2009)
It is hard to believe that the bathrooms in Kaufman Auditorium have remained unaltered since the school opened it's doors in 1927. The old bathrooms, often refered to as, "Bathrooms worse than those at Lakeview Arena," are finally getting the attention and remodeling they have needed for quite some time.
Thanks to a very generous gift of $50,000 from the L.G. Kaufman Endowment Fund to get the project started, the Marquette Area Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved matching funds for the project.
Started on January 2, 2009, the new bathrooms are expected to be completed by April 1st, 2009. The new bathrooms will feature the finest marble and granite wall and floor tiles, fixtures, and ventilation. Though a ticket booth was lost in the process of adding a unisex ADA bathroom, the outcome of being able to accomodate all people through the bathroom renovation project brings Kaufman Auditorium one step closer to being a 21st-century premiere venue!
Restoration of the Original Graveraet Fountain and Courtyard
(Posted March 7, 2009)
Though the recent economic crisis is effecting us all deeply, we are very humbled and pleased to announce that the Restoration of the Original Graveraet School Fountain and Courtyard Project is still taking place. It has taken us slightly longer to secure the funding needed for the project, but as of March 1st, 2009, we have secured $76,500.
With hopes to still bring in the remaining $24,500 in the next few months, we are planning to start the project this spring. Currently, architectural plans are being finished and the engineering outline for the fountains is being determined.
If you have not yet donated to this project and you would still like to, you have until August of 2009. We thank you in advance for your support and dedication to such a monumental community project.
The Courtyard Project goes to Bid!
(Posted February 20, 2010)
To all of the community members, students, and local Foundations who have stood behind this project with your encouraging words and financial gifts, the moment we have all been waiting for is here. Marquette Area Public School Administrators have bid the project out and are awaiting word on if we will be able to move forward with the construction of the new fountains or not. We have five general contractors who are competing for the Restoration of the Original Graveraet Courtyard and Fountain project and it is our hope that we will receive a good price from the lowest bidder. Stay tuned for more information about the results of the bid. We would like to break ground, assuming we have all of the funding necesary to move forward. If approved, ground breaking could begin around April 1, 2010.
More Funding Needed
(March 23, 2010)
The Board of Education voted last evening to not provide the additional funding needed for the Restoration of the Original Courtyard and Fountain project. With a little more than $65,000 needed in order to enter into a contract with the lowest bidder, Associated Contractors of Marquette, MAPS BOard Members decided that with the recent budget cuts for public school funding in the State of Michigan, this amount was too great considering it is an aesthetic project, not a structural project. While all of us involved with the project understand the complexity of funding issues, the Kaufman Auditorium Beautification Committee is looking to do more fundraising over the next few months. The bid price from Associated Contractors will be held until July 1, 2010, in anticipation that we come up with more donations.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation: LOWE'S Charitable and Education Fund Grant
(Posted May 2, 2010)
Just when we thought the amount of money we needed to raise was almost impossible, along comes a grant that represents everything that the Restoration of the Original Graveraet Courtyard and Fountain project needs- even beyond funding! Of course the $50,000 grant could very well represent the rest of the money needed in order to secure matching funds from the L.G. Kaufman Endowment, but it also represents a major contribution from one of our local businesses in Marquette, LOWE'S, and their committment to education and the preservation of historic schools.
The LOWE'S grant is a pilot grant (first year) and though there appear to be more than one available at various funding levels, we have applied for the full $50,000 and hope that we stand a good chance in being a recipient. Thanks to all the hard work of committee members and those who have donated such generous amounts of funding for the project, we stand a good chance of proving that we have our entire community behind the project!
Look for an upcoming invitation to a Tuesday, June 29th final fundraiser in Kaufman Auditorium. If you haven't done so already, now is the time to truly get involved and donate to the fountain project!
