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1912 Center seeks $1M to start third‑floor renovation; full project estimated at about $5.5M
Summary
The 1912 Center’s executive director told Moscow City Council the community‑run venue hosted 1,785 unique events in 2025 and is ready to begin phased third‑floor renovations if it can raise an initial $1 million for infrastructure, while estimating a full project cost in the multi‑million range.
Jenny Kro, executive director of Heart of the Arts, told the Moscow City Council on March 2 that the 1912 Center hosted 1,785 unique events in 2025 and remains chiefly community‑funded. Kro said Heart of the Arts counted 839 donors last year and runs the building under a long‑term lease with the city.
Kro outlined programming at the 1912, including a fourth‑grade living‑history program called Pen and Primer, monthly Welcome Table community dinners supported by an $18,000 grant from the Trust for Civic Life, and the Winter Market partnership with the Friends of the Library. She said the center employs one full‑time staff person, several part‑time and student employees, and relies on volunteers.
The presentation focused on completed third‑floor renovation plans developed with NIT Architects. Kro proposed a phased approach that starts with infrastructure — heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical, bathrooms and leveling a sloped auditorium floor — and asked for $1 million to begin that work. She said the full renovation, including a commercial kitchen and finished ballroom and studio space, was roughly estimated at $5.5 million in today’s dollars, with much of past renovation funding coming from community donors.
Council members asked detailed questions about sequencing, donor‑sponsored components (for example the culinary lab, ballroom or studio), and likely grant opportunities. Kro said infrastructure work would make later phases independent and fundable as donor‑sponsored chunks; she said the center has pursued grants and will continue to seek large gifts to reach the million‑dollar infrastructure milestone.
Kro described the project as “shovel‑ready” in the sense that architectural plans are complete and work can begin once the infrastructure funds are in place. She also reiterated that much of the 1912 Center’s operating and renovation work historically has been funded by local donations and volunteer labor.
The council thanked Kro for the report. No formal city appropriation was proposed or acted on during the meeting; Kro’s presentation was informational and intended to inform future fundraising and potential grant requests.
