Fund-Raising Goals Seek Many Millions

Capital Projects Planned for Vineyard from Hospital to Town Libraries Expected to Cost $71 Million

By James Kinsella
Gazette Senior Writer

Few would dispute their worth: the updating of the Martha\'s Vineyard Hospital, the architectural restoration of a historic Island landmark, the expansion of services for residents seeking to recover from drug addiction.

But they all cost money - often more money than first expected, as construction costs race upward.

To that end, Vineyard organizations are asking or will be asking residents and visitors to contribute tens of millions of dollars toward capital projects scheduled for construction in the next few years.

A list of prominent projects planned on the Island reveals capital costs of at least $71 million, not counting several other projects that will add millions to that total.

In many cases proponents anticipate that government and foundation grants will defray some of those costs. But they also acknowledge that donations from private individuals are crucial to turn the proposals into reality.

The money raised so far this summer has been stunning. In July the Martha\'s Vineyard Hospital announced that donors had pledged at least $20 million toward construction of a new hospital, a project expected to cost $42 million - the most expensive in Island history. And on Monday, the Possible Dreams Auction in Edgartown brought in record donations of more than $741,000, up 25 per cent from last year. The money supports the operations of Martha\'s Vineyard Community Services.

But whether the Vineyard community can financially support all these projects remains to be seen. And given that the Island economy is experiencing a slowdown, some organizations may be facing more of an uphill battle.

One factor that eases the burden of fund-raisers is that one organization often taps a different group of donors than another.

Christopher Scott, executive director of the Martha\'s Vineyard Preservation Trust, whose organization wants to raise a relatively modest $500,000 to restore Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs, said certain Vineyard projects tend to attract more affluent donors. The drive to build a new hospital, for example, has drawn pledges from individuals of $1 million or more. \"That\'s big time,\" he said.

The preservation trust, meanwhile, turns to a different crowd with its annual fund-raising dinner and auction.

Here\'s a review of what\'s happening with a number of capital projects on the Vineyard:

Most ambitious is the hospital construction project. The new facility - which will replace the 30-year-old structure in Oak Bluffs - would stand three stories tall, is scheduled to include 19 beds, a new emergency room, two operating rooms and space for more medical services.

By July 1, the hospital had raised $20 million. Chief executive officer Tim Walsh demurred yesterday when asked for an update. \"We\'re still working our way through possible donors,\" he said. \"It\'s still very active. We\'re not really ready to talk about the money side.\"

The hospital hopes to raise the rest of the money by the end of next summer, with construction starting in the fall of 2006.

The YMCA of Martha\'s Vineyard has proposed building a 43,400-square-foot fitness center on land in Oak Bluffs leased from the Martha\'s Vineyard Regional High School.

To do that, the YMCA plans to raise $14 million, of which $3 million would go to an endowment to provide scholarships. The remaining $11 million would go toward the facility, with $9 million slated for construction and $2 million set aside for furnishing the structure.

\"We\'re not actively fund-raising now,\" Vineyard YMCA president Jan Pogue said Tuesday. \"We\'re in a quiet period.\"

The YMCA, however, has organized a capital campaign. The organization hopes to have raised at least 50 per cent of its goal by next summer, when it will launch a public appeal for funds. It also hopes to tap foundation grants to pay for the project.

In Edgartown, fund-raising for the library expansion has stalled while the project plans are reworked for the town zoning board of appeals.

Voters, however, already had approved the purchase of the Captain Warren House and property for $3.5 million. The library also has secured a $4 million grant from the state to help fund the project, which would include an addition between the existing Carnegie Library and the Captain Warren House.

And once approval from the zoning board is secured, the library will step up efforts to raise the remaining $7.5 million for the project, library director Felicia Cheney said. The library anticipates half would come from private donors and half from foundation grants.

Also in Edgartown, the FARM Institute wants to raise close to $4 million for capital improvements at its new location at Katama Farm.

John Curelli, chief executive officer at the institute, said the institute wants to provide classroom and office space for teachers and staff; provide staff housing; and build other structures that will generate revenue, including a farm stand and possibly a creamery or a beef and lamb facility.

Mr. Curelli anticipates the institute will launch its campaign within four months.

He also said that the $4 million figure is not cast in stone. The institute, he said, may seek more money to fund an endowment.

The Martha\'s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, having successfully raised $2 million for repairs at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, wants to raise $2 million more for additional work on the open-air structure.

Peter Bannon, chairman of the Tabernacle restoration fund, said association members want to restore the roof and cupola. The association also is interested in making structural additions, so that the Tabernacle can better handle larger events.

The good news for the Tabernacle is that the structure recently was designated a national historic landmark, which Mr. Bannon said will improve its candidacy for grants from private foundations.

At the library in Oak Bluffs, the bills will keep coming for the next two decades.

In 2003, Oak Bluffs voters approved a 20-year, $3.8 million bond to build a 15,000-square-foot library, which is scheduled to open in late October off Pacific avenue next to town hall.

Karen Achille, chairman of the building committee, said the town received a $1.56 million grant from the state to help fund the project. Mrs. Achille said library backers also pledged to raise $800,000 toward the cost of the project.

She said yesterday that the backers plan to raise the money over the coming years to help reduce the debt payments and also to enhance library programs.

Given that the library is owned by the town, Mrs. Achille said, backers face a hurdle in bringing in money. \"It is difficult for a municipality to conduct fund-raising events,\" she said. \"It\'s different from some of the nonprofits.\"

The Martha\'s Vineyard Preservation Trust, has raised $250,000 toward restoration work at the historic Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs, but still must raise $250,000 more.

Mr. Scott said the trust plans to restore the steeple, which was knocked off by the 1938 hurricane, the bell tower and a large amount of gingerbread detail that was removed over the years.

He anticipates the trust is looking at another year of raising funds, although he hopes that the project might qualify for a new state initiative to fund historic structures that draw tourists.

Backers of several more Vineyard projects still in the planning stages declined to assign dollar goals to their respective efforts.

Almost certainly the biggest such project is the plan of the Dukes County Historical Society to shift the bulk of its operation from School street in Edgartown to 10 acres between the agricultural hall and the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury.

Executive director Matthew Stackpole said the society has paid off the $1 million the society spent to buy the property several years ago.

Mr. Stackpole said the society is concerned about getting the project right - and thus has not set a deadline for starting construction or set a fund-raising goal. At present, the organization is working on a master plan for the West Tisbury site.

He anticipates the society will seek foundation grants and private donations to fund the new facility.

Vineyard House, which provides residential treatment for Islanders in the early stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, received approval recently from the Martha\'s Vineyard Commission to build a new and expanded campus in Vineyard Haven. Plans call for the construction of two buildings on a 4.43-acre parcel off Holmes Hole Road.

The Holmes Hole property is under agreement, though Vineyard House director Brian Mackey declined to discuss the sale price. He said the current owner plans to provide financing for the purchase.

Mr. Mackey said Vineyard House also is planning a campaign to raise money for the project. He anticipates those plans will be completed by October.

\"We will be looking for financial support from Vineyarders and others,\" he said.