Anne Conklin, a longtime nonprofit leader who served as operations chair and board chair of the Partnership for the Arts and Humanities, told a community audience in Cherry Hill Village that Canton Township purchased the Village Arts campus to preserve it as an arts and community anchor.

Conklin said the township bought the property for $2,000,000, which “is what our mortgage was,” and that the partnership subsequently leased back the warehouse and dorm from the township so programming could continue. She described the sale as intended to keep the site “a Canton facility” and to relieve the nonprofit’s mortgage burden.

Why it matters: the campus combines an active arts facility, an art gallery, tenant studios and a theater with buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Conklin traced the site’s history from Henry Ford’s Village Industries, through decades of manufacturing, to a community-led rescue and 2019–2020 renovation so the campus could host arts programming and small businesses.

Conklin recounted how the property’s future was preserved when Tom Yack, then the partnership chair, bought the 14-acre campus at auction for $22,500 to prevent its loss. Later capital work and volunteer efforts produced a renovated warehouse and dorm; Conklin said renovations completed in March 2020 and that total construction costs reached about $2,000,000.

The pandemic interrupted the facility’s opening: Conklin said the campus opened on March 11, 2020 and closed two days later under public-health restrictions. She described recovery efforts and recent growth: 100% tenant occupancy in 2023, membership rising to more than 100, and the partnership distributing over $50,000 in grants last year and preparing to award another $50,000 for 2026. Conklin also highlighted a $12,500 grant from the Eagles organization for ACE programming for children with disabilities.

Conklin detailed a flood that occurred the day after the township signaled interest in purchasing the campus; she credited community donors and volunteers (including MSA Trucking and the Rosen family) for salvage and rapid help that allowed tenants to return within six to eight weeks. On the township’s involvement, she said Canton conducted economic studies, extended a service agreement for programming, and is funding continued renovation work at the factory building.

On facility upgrades, Conklin reported that electricity has been restored to the factory after a months-long hold-up and that the building preserves original wood flooring stamped with Henry Ford’s name. She said Canton’s contractors aim to finish construction in January or February, with additional months needed for furniture, fixtures and equipment; Conklin said the partnership hopes to invite the community to an open house in spring.

In audience Q&A, residents pressed parking and access concerns. Conklin said parking has been the top complaint for years but that the partnership and township deploy shuttles for major events and are improving signage to show existing parking lots. She described an effort to present Cherry Hill Village as a walkable, district-style center that combines programming with business development to attract restaurants and retailers.

Next steps: Canton finishes construction and outfits the factory building; the partnership continues programming and grantmaking and anticipates a spring open house. Conklin invited attendees to a tour following the presentation and encouraged membership and community support.

Quotes used in this article come from Anne Conklin’s remarks during the public presentation.