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Friends of 2 Rivers outlines restoration progress, expanded events and tight 2026 budget
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Summary
Jeff Syracuse, president of Friends of 2 Rivers, told the Metro Parks board that exterior restoration of 2 Rivers Mansion is largely complete, programming and Stone Hall revenue grew in 2025, and the group projects a roughly $40,000 budget for 2026 after a prior-year deficit.
Jeff Syracuse, president of Friends of 2 Rivers, told the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation that the exterior restoration of 2 Rivers Mansion was largely finished after a multi-month closure and that the organization expanded programming across the park system in 2025.
"2025 was 1 of the most challenging of our 15 year history as an organization," Syracuse said, noting the mansion was closed from about Feb. 24 until August for a major exterior restoration but reopened with a well-attended grand reopening. He said some scaffolding remained to complete masonry repairs and that plumbing issues are being assessed to determine scope and cost.
Syracuse described program growth at Stone Hall and other sites: the friends group ran more than 40 events in 2025 with more than 5,000 attendees, expanded school and community programming, and opened Stone Hall as a second activation site. He said Stone Hall revenue rose from about $3,500 in 2024 to about $15,000 in 2025, attributing growth to increased bookings and the first full calendar year of operations.
The group outlined plans for a proposed 2 Rivers Cultural and Education Center but said it has not yet received capital funding and is continuing to develop activation plans and partnerships. Syracuse also previewed a 2026 public calendar that includes free concerts, movie nights and fundraisers intended to generate revenue that will be reinvested in property preservation.
Syracuse gave the board a 2026 budget figure of about $40,000 and said the organization carried a roughly $35,000 deficit last year that reflected investments made to restore and reactivate the site. He said the friends group has engaged a consultant to help develop sponsorship and partnership programs to underwrite fundraising and sustain preservation work.
The presentation closed with Syracuse inviting board members to visit the site and offering to provide follow-up details via the contact information included in his packet. The board thanked Syracuse and asked follow-up questions about revenue drivers and programming.
