On July 13, the Division of Historic Resources grant panel hearing was held for the request we submitted to them for a Small Matching Grant ($50,000 request) with your consent. The application ranked 16th among 58 eligible applications. The ranked list of grants have been approved by the Secretary of State and will be recommended to the Legislature for funding.
The Arts Foundation for Martin County and our volunteers have assembled our team, including a general contractor, to execute the due diligence testing and inspections of the building. This team can be ready to go in November. We look forward to future discussions to plan and coordinate that work. The results of the inspections will inform our renovations plans, budget and timeline.
To remain true to our vision for the site, it is important that our discussions involve not only the historic Stuart High School site but also the the land in front along East Ocean Boulevard for the creation of a cultural campus with many public access opportunities. The access and visibility from East Ocean Boulevard is crucial to the success of plans for programming at the site.
Our mission and vision for the site was created with community input including the cultural sector as well as other key interests that included the Economic Council of Martin County and the Community Foundation.
- Mission: Provide access to and experiences in the Arts by stimulating collaborative programming, economic opportunity, and the preservation of our local history.
- Vision: The Stuart High School Cultural Center (“the Center”) is the premier collaborative, creative, and SMART technology space in which to experience the Arts through daily life and work. The Center’s eco-friendly buildings and campus support multiple, mixed-use venues for a variety of cultural, performance, and artistic offerings that bring together people, the Arts, and commerce to enrich Martin County and the Treasure Coast. As a self-sustaining hub for the Arts, the Center is the anchor for downtown expansion and a magnet for revitalization.
We remain optimistic that we can work with the other parties on the larger parcel, at this point, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County and Stuart Middle School to jointly coordinate parking, water retention, and any other site considerations.
