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The performing arts stage at the upcoming event venue in Jeanne M. Stine Park, pictured, will move forward after a $100,000 grant from the Troy Community Foundation.
Photo by Brendan Losinski
TROY — A portion of the upcoming Troy skating ribbon and event venue at Jeanne M. Stine Park will move forward thanks to a significant contribution from the Troy Community Foundation.
The ribbon — an ice skating track, rather than a rink — and venue are slated to open later this year, but the project went over budget, so the performing arts stage that was planned to be part of the venue had been scrapped. Now, the Troy Community Foundation is providing the city with $100,000 so it can continue to move forward.
“We’d had to cut the pavilion from our plans for financial reasons,” explained Troy Department of Public Works Director Kurt Bovensiep. “The project was over budget (by $350,000), so when the engineers gave us their cost projections, we had to value-out some of the amenities, including the stage.”
Troy’s budget for the pavilion, ice skating ribbon, landscaping, construction management, and contingency was $10 million.
Bovensiep added that the Troy Community Foundation has been involved in the skating ribbon and venue project since its conception.
“The Troy Community Foundation has offered a donation of $100,000 for an outdoor performing arts stage,” said Bovensiep. “The Troy Community Foundation was really a catalyst in developing the Jeanne M. Stine Community Park. It was their idea to have a large community space, so when they found out we had to cut the performing arts stage from the project, they wanted to ensure this part of the project went through. They raised a lot of money after several successful years at their annual Troy Daze Festival, so they had a lot of funds available for a project like this.”
Olivia V. McLaughlin, the executive director of the Troy Community Foundation, said the organization members were thrilled to keep this aspect of the project alive.
“We wanted to be able to give back to the community we serve in Troy. The performing arts stage will be a social fixture everyone can enjoy for many years to come,” she said. “It adds on to the ice ribbon project, so it’s an exciting time for what is being built there. The board thought we could make this gift, and we are excited to partner with the city on it.”
The city of Troy also will contribute financially to the performing arts stage.
“When the city does large projects, it’s pretty impossible to guess the exact cost of the project. The City Council approves a contingency amount for unseen changes or adjustments. The amount that was available to the project wasn’t enough to cover the performing arts stage on our own,” said Bovensiep. “The city of Troy is now making a contribution to the stage, adding to the $100,000 from the Troy Community Foundation. The city will contribute an additional $250,000 from its contingency funds.”
The Troy Community Foundation regularly puts the funds it raises back into the Troy community, but rarely in such a large amount all at once.
“We make money through Troy Family Daze with the hope of investing it,” said McLaughlin. “We give out annual community grants for local causes in the spring and fall. This is over and above that. We have been able to save our funds, so we could invest in something this way.”
McLaughlin said that this larger donation was possible thanks to increased attendance at recent years’ Troy Family Daze events in the summer — its largest source of fundraising.
“We had some good years at Troy Daze the last few events,” McLaughlin said. “One thing we know is that the landscape of giving is changing. We are looking for local sponsors for Troy Daze, for instance. That would allow us to divert even more money back into the community.”
While the project will not be completed this winter as was originally hoped, the venue is estimated to be up and running in time for summer — and perhaps even spring — events.
“The whole intent of the project was to have a four-season project. We hoped to open the ice skating ribbon this winter, but due to some complications, it won’t be open this season, but because it is a four-season facility, we still think people will be able to enjoy it for spring, summer and fall, and then enjoy the ice skating rink when it gets cold next November,” said Bovensiep. “I’m excited that this will contribute to the idea of creating a central park in Troy and keeping the civic center community-orientated, so everyone can enjoy it.”
