Posts Tagged ‘Capital Campaign’

Planning Board Okays Plan for Visitor Center on South Main

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Planning Board Okays Plan for Visitor Center on South Main
By Duncan McInnes Sports Editor
As Appeared in the Kernersville News 7/15/2021

“The Kernersville Planning Board returned to in person monthly meetings at the Kernersville Municipal Council Chambers on Monday. The previous month’s meeting, the first live, in person meeting in a long time, was held at the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department located at 1180 NC-66 on June 14. Monday’s meeting was the first Planning Board meeting for the new Planning Board members Christina Welch and Scott Sapp.
One of the main items of interest at the meeting was voting to clear the way for construction of the Visitor’s Center and parking lot near Körner’s Folly. This required approving a Zoning Text Amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance, passing a rezoning recommendation and approving a site plan recommendation. The properties in question are located at 401, 411, and 413 South Main Street and contain a total of 2.52 acres. The Town of Kernersville owns approximately 1.24 acres of this property, and Körner’s Folly owns a 0.76-acre parcel and a 0.52-acre parcel. Planning Board Chair Jim Waddell and Vice Chair LuAnn Davis recused themselves from the Zoning Text Amendment, rezoning recommendation and site plan recommendation due to the project being a conflict of interest in their case.

A text amendment was approved on a 6-0 vote to allow buildings in the IP (Institutional and Public) District an additional 10 percent of impervious coverage under the zoning ordinance. In the rezoning case, Dale Pennington, the agent for owner’s petitioner, requested a Single Phase Conditional District rezoning from RS7 & RMU-S (Residential Multifamily, Unrestricted-Special Use District) to IP-C (Institutional & Public Conditional Use) for properties located at 413, 411, and 401 South Main Street. The requested uses for the properties are government offices; museum or art gallery. This request was upheld on a 6-0 vote by the Planning Board. The site plan recommendation was also approved on a 6-0 vote.

The Town of Kernersville and the Körner’s Folly Foundation currently have an agreement to build a visitor’s center at this site. One new 5,000 sq. ft. building is slated to be constructed to be utilized for a Visitor’s Center for the Körner’s Folly museum. The property will have associated on-site parking, an associated on-site outdoor sidewalk area and access to the adjacent museum property. Parking will be available for 47 cars and three buses.
Under the site plan, the Körner’s Folly Visitor’s Center will redevelop a “gray field,” a site previously developed but underutilized at the present time. The existing gravel areas will be removed on both the parcel owned by the Town of Kernersville and on those owned by the Körner’s Folly Foundation. The rezoning of all three parcels will not only enable the construction of the Visitor’s Center but will clean up the non-conforming residential zoning on the two parcels owned by the Körner’s Folly Foundation. The proposed IP-C zoning will enable the development desired for the museum while protecting adjacent residential properties.

The site is located in the Central Kernersville Overlay District (CKOD). The intent of the CKOD is to incorporate historical architectural design features to blend new construction with historic downtown Kernersville. Körner’s Folly is a grandfathered use within the RS7 zoning district. The proposed rezoning would allow for it to come into compliance and be complemented by the Visitor’s Center. The design proposed with this conditional use district is based on the Körner’s Folly architectural details. It will include a steeply pitched roof with flat wings, arched brick pilasters, brick corbels, and paired columns on brick piers as the support for a rear-elevation loggia.
The site will be connected to the sidewalk on South Main Street for additional pedestrian connectivity. The primary path between the Visitor’s Center and the museum will be a private path between the two buildings.
The next Kernersville Planning Board meeting will be held on August 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Kernersville Municipal Council Chambers.”

 

Foundation Signs Architect for New Visitors Center at Körner’s Folly

The Körner’s Folly Foundation is excited to announce that Michael West, of West & Stem Architects (Winston-Salem, NC) has signed on as the principal architect for the Foundation’s new Visitors Center at Körner’s Folly. Hiring an architect represents a critical step in the Foundation’s Capital Campaign, which has just reached a new milestone of 85% of funds raised towards the total campaign goal.

Thanks to the generous support of private donors, grant foundations, and corporate organizations, the Foundation hopes to be able to break ground on the Visitor Center in the fall of 2021.  Prior to groundbreaking, the important work of designing the building must begin soon. This work, headed by Michael West and the firm’s civil engineer, begins with a survey of the site’s boundary, topographic features, and utility access. Next, West will create detailed floor plans based on the structural layout and mechanical systems. The site of the future Visitors Center, which lies along Main Street to the north-east of Körner’s Folly, will be under construction for approximately eight months, and is scheduled to open to the public in fall of 2022.

West & Stem Architects was chosen for this project because of their incredible portfolio as well as their responsive design approach. With a blend of historic preservation work (such as restoration of WinMock at Kinderton and Bethania Mill), civic space designs (including the Kernersville branch of the Forsyth County Public Library, Parkland High School, Wiley Middle School, and the Winston-Salem Police Department’s 1st and 3rd Districts), and homes for nonprofit organizations (Samaritan Ministries, Forsyth Humane Society, Center Grove Baptist Church), the Körner’s Folly Foundation Board of Directors believe that West & Stem will be able to deliver a design for the Visitors Center that is visionary and flexible, suited for a variety of gatherings and programs, and echoes the unique architecture of Jule Körner’s whimsical, Victorian-era structure.

The design for the Visitors Center will incorporate several much-needed upgrades for Körner’s Folly, which has seen record-breaking attendance for several years. The plan will include a critical expansion of parking and restroom facilities, flexible community space, a media room, conference room, exhibition space for fragile objects from the organization’s collection, and a research library. Handicap access will be an integral part of the design, allowing the Körner’s Folly Foundation to increase access to the historic house, which was constructed in 1880.

In addition, the Visitors Center at Körner’s Folly will serve as a gateway to historic downtown Kernersville, providing a wide variety of information for tourists to discover options for dining, shopping, lodging, and enjoying all the cultural amenities the town has to offer.

“We are thrilled to be able to move forward with this step of hiring the right architect for this project,” said Dale Pennington, Executive Director of the Körner’s Folly Foundation. “We look forward to working with West & Stem to create a design that addresses the needs of our organization and community, and creates a beautiful new cornerstone for the town of Kernersville.”

The funds raised through the Capital Campaign for Körner’s Folly will be used to complete construction of the new Visitors Center, as well as to finish critical restoration of the remaining rooms of the historic house, and to establish a sustainability fund to cover long-term costs of building maintenance and educational programs.

“Special recognition goes to the Board of Aldermen of the Town of Kernersville for helping to make this project a reality,” says Executive Director Dale Pennington. “With the commitment of $750,000 from the Town, we have been able to get major donors on board and excited about this opportunity to build for a greater Kernersville. We believe that the new Visitor Center’s impact will be extremely positive, both economically as well as culturally.”

For more information about the Capital Campaign for Körner’s Folly or the Visitors Center at Körner’s Folly, please contact info@kornersfolly.org or call (336) 996-7922.

Lawrence and Etta Lea Pope Foundation Funds Community Room

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Körner’s Folly is proud to announce a generous grant from the Lawrence E. and Etta Lea Pope Foundation. This gift, earmarked for the creation of a Community Room in the future Visitors Center at Körner’s Folly, will provide a flexible space for lectures, events, group lunches, special exhibitions, and meeting space.

“We’re thankful for this investment in the future of Kernersville, and the ways that we will be able to gather for socializing, learning together, exploring history, and so much more in our Community Room. We are so grateful for the Lawrence E. and Etta Lea Pope Foundation’s belief in the mission of  Körner’s Folly, and we will continue to provide excellent programming for Kernersville and beyond.”  – Dale Pennington, Executive Director of the Körner’s Folly Foundation

The funding of the Community Room is part of a 1.5 million dollar fundraising effort that includes the construction of a 5,600 square foot Visitors Center at Körner’s Folly, completion of the house’s restoration, and development of new educational programs.

This gift from Lawrence E. and Etta Lea Pope Foundation joins funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation, the Winston-Salem Foundation, the Town of Kernersville, and many private individuals. The Körner’s Folly Foundation is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Körner’s Folly for the education and enjoyment of the public. For more information, email info@kornersfolly.org or call (336) 996-7922.

A bright future for Körner’s Folly and the town of Kernersville

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Körner’s Folly is abuzz with excitement after this month’s Board of Aldermen Meeting.  On Tuesday, August 7, the Town of Kernersville agreed to enter into a partnership with the Körner’s Folly Foundation to build a Visitor’s Center for Körner’s Folly and the Town of Kernersville on 1.25 acres of land jointly purchased by the Town and the Körner’s Folly Foundation in 2017.  The Town committed $750,000 toward the project, contingent upon Körner’s Folly raising the remaining $750,000 to match the Town’s investment.  Körner’s Folly will be pursuing a Capital Campaign in 2019-2020 to match the Town’s investment as well as to continue raising funds for the much needed restoration of the historic house.

Over the last five years, restoration successes, increased programming, visitation, and community events, and statewide recognition, have spurred widespread community interest in the well-being of Körner’s Folly. Visitation has grown dramatically, with Körner’s Folly now welcoming over 10,000 visitors annually. However, increased visitation has exacerbated the limitations of the physical spaces in Körner’s Folly and Aunt Dealy’s Cottage and there is a strong need for better ADA accessibility. The Körner’s Folly Foundation Board of Directors has been working diligently over the last several years to strategically plan ways of addressing our growing capacities, while at the same time, envisioning ways Körner’s Folly can enhance and attract increased tourism to the Town of Kernersville.

In 2017, the Körner’s Folly Foundation engaged consultant Katheryn Northington to conduct a strategic review of its mission and purpose.  The Board of Directors also began touring historic sites in North Carolina and Virginia, holding strategic retreats, and engaged Northington to conduct stakeholder interviews.

During her interviews, Northington found that, “Citizens view Körner’s Folly as much, much more than an iconic landmark.  The Folly provides Kernersville with a sense of identity; stakeholders see the Folly as “Kernersville’s home” and value the contribution of the Folly in making Kernersville a community rather than a stop on the highway.”  Participants also expressed to Northington that, “Körner’s Folly contributes meaningfully to the town’s economic development by attracting tourism revenue and by its cultural contribution to the quality of life in Kernersville.”

Armed with this support from the community, the Körner’s Folly Board of Directors began planning a Capital Campaign, agreeing that expansion would allow Körner’s Folly to better serve a wider audience in more meaningful ways.  The Körner’s Folly Board envisions a Visitor Center, built on the lot next door, that would meet the demands of the growing organizational capacity and serve as a gateway for visitors to Kernersville. The Visitor Center would include exhibition, meeting, and programming space, increased public restrooms, a gift shop, offices, storage, and parking facilities. The center’s facilities could benefit many nonprofits in Kernersville by disseminating information and offering meeting, conference, and community space.

In 2018, the Körner’s Folly Foundation Board of Directors engaged Capital Development Services as campaign counsel.  They are actively engaged in planning and preparation for the launch of the capital campaign. The Körner’s Folly Foundation has received approval from the Winston Salem Foundation Campaign Coordinating Committee to launch this Capital Campaign in the fall of 2019, which dictates corporate and foundation gifts.

While in this planning phase, the Board of Directors recognized that support from the Town of Kernersville was an important first step in the process.  “We sought support from the Town up front as part of our plans to bring this project to fruition, understanding the importance of this project for both Körner’s Folly and the Town of Kernersville. Our Board unanimously agreed that a public-private partnership is critical to bringing this project to life. So it was important to secure support from the Town now – as a first step in the process – before launching our pending capital campaign” says Dale Pennington, Körner’s Folly Executive Director.

A commitment of $750,000 from the Town will function as a “challenge” for the remainder of the funds needed to build the Visitor Center.  The commitment from the Town of Kernersville is contingent upon the Körner’s Folly Board raising $750,000 from private sources, thereby leveraging the Town of Kernersville’s support to “match dollar for dollar” every private dollar contributed to the project.  To date, the Körner’s Folly Foundation has already raised $280,000 toward the Capital Campaign from private individuals.

This public-private partnership between the Town of Kernersville and the Körner’s Folly Foundation could be modeled after the Town’s public-private partnership with the Kernersville YMCA to build the pool in 1997-1998.  At that time, the Town also invested $750,000 to build a community pool that was managed by the YMCA.

The vision of the Körner’s Folly Foundation is to be a place of connection between the past and the future, between the arts and industry, and among people who share a common appreciation for new ways of thinking.  Of the project, Mike Shaw, Körner’s Folly Foundation president says, “This potential project is very exciting, both for Körner’s Folly and the Town of Kernersville. A new Körner’s Folly Visitor Center provides all of us the opportunity to form a true partnership with the Town of Kernersville, but also with the citizens of Kernersville as well.  Körner’s Folly is the namesake of our town and we are very proud of the fact that many of our citizens automatically link the two as one. We now have the opportunity to complement our wonderful historic house with a Visitor Center that will tie into Main Street and provide a beautiful “Gateway” to the Town of Kernersville. This is the most positive news that we have announced since Jule Körner stood out in a vacant piece of property and said “I’m going to build a house….and it’s going to be special.”

Questions? Want to be involved in this effort? Call the office today (336) 996-7922.

Proposed Visitor’s Center for Körner’s Folly and the Town of Kernersville

Proposed Visitor’s Center for Körner’s Folly and the Town of Kernersville