Columbus council authorizes agreement to relocate Historic Westville and hears reopening update
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Summary
Council approved an MOA enabling the relocation of Historic Westville to South Lumpkin Road after board members said the nonprofit raised capital to reopen. Leaders told council the museum reinstated tax-exempt status and has a donor-advised fund and one year of operating reserves.
Columbus City Council on Dec. 9 authorized a memorandum of agreement to relocate Historic Westville to a city-owned site on South Lumpkin Road and heard a report from the nonprofit’s board and new executive director.
Thornton Jordan, who identified himself as a long-serving member of the Westville board, told the council the organization raised $7,000,000 to move and reopen the living-history museum in Columbus and that it had cleared outstanding debts. He said the nonprofit successfully worked with a CPA and with letters of support from public and private leaders to have its tax-exempt status reinstated rapidly after an IRS filing.
Jordan also said the organization established a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation that currently holds $1,200,000 and that an anonymous donor has pledged to match gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000,000. He said those commitments provide a one-year operating cushion while Westville rebuilds revenue streams such as on-site memberships, store sales and events.
April Kirk, the executive director, described staffing and programming since Westville reopened in October. She said Westville has a small core staff and 13 part-time historic interpreters and is running weekend tours, workshops, school programs and planning artist residencies and festivals.
During council discussion no one spoke in opposition. Miss Goodwin brought item 3 forward, and after a motion and second the council recorded affirmative votes and approved the MOA.
The council’s action clears the way for the nonprofit to move forward with operations at the site and for the parties to negotiate any implementation details of the agreement. Councilors and staff noted they expect additional follow-up about project schedules and potential requests for city support as Westville expands programming.
