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Pulaski council clears contracts for Calfee Community and Cultural Center renovations funded by federal and regional grants
Summary
Council authorized the town manager to sign two construction contracts for exterior roof work and a 1,400-square-foot shared-use kitchen at the Calfee Community and Cultural Center; work is funded by a National Park Service award matched by Calfee and an ARC grant of about $640,000, with Calfee contributing under $20,000.
Representatives of the Calfee Community and Cultural Center told the Town of Pulaski council on Sept. 16 that two outside grants will fund the next phase of renovations and asked the council to permit the town manager to sign construction contracts.
Jill, a representative of the center, described two funding streams: a National Park Service award of $500,000 that Calfee will match with another $500,000 to fund exterior improvements (roof and front windows and doors), and an Appalachian Regional Commission grant of about $640,000 to expand the kitchen into a 1,400-square-foot commercial shared-use facility. The center plans a "donate what you can" cafe and hopes to rent the kitchen to local entrepreneurs, caterers and bakers, officials said.
Jill said the center ran a competitive bid process and "the lowest responsive bidder was Thor Construction," and asked the council to approve two construction contracts so the town manager could execute them on the town’s behalf. Town officials confirmed the town’s role is administrative — managing and disbursing grant funds — and that the town itself will not provide the grant money for construction; staff time will be used to manage the grants.
Council moved to give the town manager authority to enter into and sign the construction agreements with the Calfee Community and Cultural Center; the motion carried by roll call.
Project partners listed during the discussion included the National Park Service and the Appalachian Regional Commission; Calfee representatives said the center will contribute under $20,000 toward the ARC-funded kitchen project. The council’s approval authorizes the town manager to finalize the agreements so construction can proceed pending contractor scheduling and customary procurement paperwork.
