Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-R-10 Resolution Requesting Funds From Clark-Floyd Tourism Bureau for Expansion of Vintage Fire Museum A RESOLUTION REQUESTING FUNDS FROM CLARK- FLOYD COUNTIES CONVENTION AND TOURISM BUREAU TO PAY COSTS OF A PROJECT DESIGNEDTO PROMOTE TOURISM IN THE CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE: VINTAGE FIRE MUSEUM'S "HISTORIC FIRE HALL EXPANSION" WHEREAS, the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana (the "City'), by and through its Common Council, wishes to encourage and promote tourism and economic development in all areas of the City; and WHEREAS, under Indiana Code 6- 9- 3- S( b) and other laws related to or supplemental thereto, the Clark- Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau (the "Tourism Bureau") is authorized to use money in the Capital Development Tourism Fund only for the purpose of paying the principal of and interest due on bonds issued by the City of Jeffersonville, or a political subdivision located in Floyd - Clark County, in order to finance a project to promote tourism or to refund bonds previously issued for such purpose; and WHEREAS, under Indiana Code 36-1-7, the City, the Tourism Bureau, is authorized to enter into an inter-local cooperation agreement to undertake projects and activities necessary or useful to further their respective purposes, including particularly financing tourism projects and issuing bonds payable from the Capital Development Tourism Fund for such purpose; and WHEREAS, the Historic Fire Hall Expansion of the Vintage Fire Museum (the "Project") is in line with Jeffersonville's April, 2025 Downtown Master Plan, is important for and consistent with the purpose of the NoCo Arts and Cultural District, and will provide an educational experience for both visitors and school children; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, as follows: Section I. Request for Funding. The Common Council hereby requests funding from the Tourism Bureau in the amount of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) to be applied to the costs of the Project, together with the costs of issuance of the Bonds allocable to such project. Section 2. Findings and Determinations. The Common Council hereby finds and determines that the Project promotes tourism and involves the expansion of the Vintage Fire Museum. The Project will not have a material adverse competitive effect on any similar facilities already constructed or operating in or near the City; that the project will promote tourism in the City, will encourage the expansion of commerce and tourism in the City and, therefore, that the financing of the Project through the issuance of the Bonds will be of benefit to the general health and welfare of the City and complies with the EDC Act. THEREFORE, be it resolved the Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville supports the historic fire hall expansion of the Vintage File Museum on the vacant lot between the museum' s existing building and Wolf Glass located on Spring Street and offers to authorize the bonding, if necessary. JOT D,TOR: VOTED AGAINST: O' /1,:r3 cod- Approved and ad pted by the Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville on this '7 day of ct , 2025. Evan Stoner, ouncil President ATTEST: t 'J'''4-- Ae,ei sa Gill, Clerk Presente by me as Clerk to the Mayor of the City of Jeffersonville this 8 day of-Sil� , 2025. -- =le'—. A4-11--- Lisa Gill, Clerk This Resolution approved and signed by me this O ay of , 2025. Mike Moore, yor This Resolution vetoed by me this day of , 2025. Mike Moore, Mayor 0 SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) Tourism Capital Development Fund 2025 Project Application Form (for bond funding only) Fund Purpose and Background The Tourism Capital Development Fund (TCDF) purpose is to provide leveraged investment in tourism projects that will increase visitors and attendant spending and overall economic impact to Clark-Floyd Counties. The TCDF was created in 1984 through the passage of Indiana Statute IC 6-9-3-5(b) which states that 25% of the 6% hotel tax revenue be allocated for use to finance a project to promote tourism through payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by a respective sponsoring county or municipality only. This Fund is under the authority of the Clark-Floyd Counties Convention &Tourism Bureau (CFCCTB) Board of Managers and managed by CTB staff. Funding applicants are restricted to not-for-profit entities and public/government institutions. The CFCCTB reserves the right to accept or reject funding proposals. The primary aims of the TCDF are as follows: O To foster transformational capital development projects that positively change the trajectory of a community and the region as a visitor destination. O To reinforce the capacities of a visitor attraction or tourism generator. O To enhance the quality of life in our community. These aims need to be recognized and addressed in the application form. Project Application Procedures and Expectations The following seven application requirements are to be responded to fully. The outcomes of the tourism project are to be documented through supportive information as stated herein. S°IIIN SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) 1. Project Name and Lead Proponent Tourism Project Name:Vintage Fire Museum's "Historic Fire Hall Expansion" Organization Name: Vintage Fire Museum and Safety Education Center, Inc. Address:706 Spring Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 Key Contact Name: Curtis Peters Position:Board Chair Email: curtandpam©earthlink.net Telephone:(502) 599-2522 Proponent Entity (check propriate legal type): a Political Subdivision Not-for-Profit 501(c)3 ❑ Other (please identify) Not-for-Profit organizations should attach an IRS Letter of Determination, evidence of timely filing of the Business Entity Report with the Indiana Secretary of State, and their most recent Form 990 Organization Brief Description (500-word summary on purpose,years in business, accomplishments and additional information as requested. Attach additional pages as necessary): See attached. soiN SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) 2. Project Sponsor The proposed tourism project is sponsored byJeffersonville City Council , which, pursuant to IC6-9-3-5(b), requests payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the sponsoring political subdivision in the amount of$200,000 , to finance a project to promote tourism or refund bonds issued for that purpose. Sponsor Entity must be a political subdivision. Please include a copy of a resolution pledging to sponsor a bond issue, if necessary,to fund the project. 3. Brief Project Description and Anticipated Completion Date (attach relevant supporting documentation such as strategic plan and/or operational/business plan, market/financial feasibility study, etc.) See attached. SCS1N SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) 4. Project Total Investment and Other Leveraged Funding Sources $ TCDF Request Identify other matching and/or grant funding below Fund' oject Funding Project/Activity Funded Investme Bequest Received For entire project $ 153,000 Donations Received For entire project $ 220,000 Bales Foundation Grant Received For entire project $ 10,000 Total Project Capital Investment (Budget) $ 600,000 Please indicate the stage below that best describes the status of the project at the time of application (check all that apply): Concept ✓ Design ,/ Engineering ✓ Permitting ✓ Site preparation ,/ Some funding committed 5. Project Benefits (Three qualitative statements that align the project with Three Primary Aims of TCDF—page 1) 1. To foster transformational capital development projects that positively change the trajectory of a community and the region as a visitor destination: See attached. 2. To reinforce the capacities of a visitor attraction or tourism generator: See attached. 3. To enhance the quality of life in our community: See attached. SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) Project Results (Quantitative/metric statements such as number of visitors, new spending, employment, etc., based on primary or secondary research findings and evaluation. Cite or attach source documents as available.) See attached. O 0 0 6. Priority Tourism Project Status Below are listed the categories of visitor experiences that have been prioritized by SoIN Tourism for its investment in new tourism and quality-of-place projects. Please indicate all categories of need this project fulfills. Attach supporting documentation, primary or secondary research, to justify the claim. • Small meetings/conferences ❑ Culinary/agritourism ❑ Sports events ❑ Riverfront/Outdoor recreation/adventure travel • Arts, heritage and cultural entertainment/Festivals ❑ Business/corporate travel SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) Does the host community (Project Sponsor in #2 above) have a Community Tourism Action Plan (CTAP) or a corresponding section in a comprehensive plan, economic development plan, parks master plan, or other similar document that defines the community's role in regional tourism? Yes No If yes, does this project meet the priorities of its host community (Project Sponsor in #2 above) as stated in the CTAP or other plans? Yes No (Please attach a copy of pages or text from the plan that applies) 11110 SoIN Tourism (Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau) 7. Signed Proponent Agreement We agree to the terms and conditions of the Capital Development Tourism Fund as described on the first page of this application and the documentation required to fulfill this financial support agreement, all of which has been prepared in a truthful manner. Proponent Organization: Vintage Fire Museum and Safety Education Center, Inc. Authorized Signature Curtis Peters, board chair (Print Name, Title) Dated: Sponsor Political Subdivision: Authorized Signature (Print Name, Title) Dated: ATTACHMENT TO 2025 SoIN GRANT APPLICATION Vintage Fire Museum and Safety Education Center, Inc. Organization Description The Vintage Fire Museum was established in 2010 to preserve the nationally-known and admired collection of historic firefighting equipment that Fred Conway had collected and restored. It was labeled as one of the five best collections in America. The Museum has preserved and expanded the collection and has displayed it for thousands of visitors from this community, from states throughout this nation, and from countries around the world. In addition, it has established an amazing fire safety education area for children and adults, and it has emphasized honoring firefighters through special events and several exhibits. The story of the Vintage Fire Museum is quite remarkable. In the 1980's and 1990's, Mr. Conway displayed much of the equipment in his Discount Labels factory in New Albany and then in 1999 built a museum to give the public greater access. The opening took place in June of 1999, but he passed away unexpectedly in September of that year. The museum was closed down and remained so for ten years. In 2009 it was learned that the collection would be sold and dispersed by auction or on Ebay. When some of us, as people committed to the community, learned of the impending break-up and disappearance of the collection, we formed a not-for-profit and purchased the collection on borrowed money for $575,000 not counting other investments that needed to be made. The building was not available, so we moved everything to a site in downtown New Albany and were there for 3+ years when a superior and affordable site was offered to us for rent by the City of Jeffersonville. The Museum grew and prospered. We went from being open one day a week to five days each week, and we were an attraction for all ages. Visitation grew dramatically as did membership and volunteer support. Within seven years the loans had been paid off. Special events attracted large numbers, and we hosted many children's groups. We also participated in downtown Jeffersonville Main Street and NoCo Arts and Cultural District events. We hosted a 4-day national convention and played a key role in several state conventions. In 2020 we had an opportunity to move from our rented facility to a larger, newly restored facility which we purchased. It was across the street from our former site and still in the Arts and Cultural District. We paid for the building and two adjoining lots through a capital campaign which was supported by many people and grants. The Vintage Fire Museum and Safety Education Center is now completely debt-free with a net worth of over 1.5 million dollars. This has been made possible through the truly remarkable support it has received from this community. One of the accomplishments of the Museum has been an impressive expansion of the Museum's collection to include historically vital and impressive pieces of equipment from New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Louisville firefighting. Another has been new displays on women in the fire service, firefighters' protective gear, equipment for rescuing people from fires, types of fire extinguishers, and more. Another accomplishment was made possible through a grant from Samtec; it made possible the purchase of advanced electronic equipment to show how to handle common kitchen fires. This is a hands-on exhibit that everyone loves. It is a key part of the fire safety education area that was built in 2021, Children and youth groups learn vital lessons from participating in our fire safety experience. Another key development has been the establishment of popular annual events. The memorial remembrance of 9-11, the Muster with its parade, competitions, and water pumping at the river, the Chili, Brats, and Brew event, the children's event "Treats from Santa," the wine & cheese event with live music for our members, the "Kindle the Flame" event on Valentine's, and the fun "Non-Event" on April Fool's Day are just a few of the things that bring in lots of people. In addition, we have started offering educational programs such as the one on "The Great Fire of London." The Museum has a growing list of volunteers making our service to visitors very complete. The organization is strong as indicated by the BBB outstanding rating. Tourism continues to be a huge strength as indicated by the large number of visitors we have from beyond our local region. Google posts up to $10,000 per month of free advertising for the Museum based on our qualifications for this. Visitors often mention that they are impressed by our high Google visitor rating of 4.8. Financial Strength The net worth of the Vintage Fire Museum is $1,491,844. There is no debt. The form 990's show that the Museum finishes in the black every year due to strong membership, admissions, and donations. The capital campaign goal of $600,000 over a 3-year period from summer of 2020 to summer of 2023 was exceeded. As the budget below will show, the Fire Museum has already paid over $250,000 toward the new building and has approximately $135,000 available for further expenses. Vintage Fire Museum "Historic Fire Hall Expansion" Project Description This project involves the completion of a new building that will double the size of the Museum. It is being built on an adjoining vacant lot owned by the Museum just to the north of the present Museum building. Although a separate building, it will be connected by a hallway and a ramp that makes everything totally handicapped accessible. It will serve as a beautiful display area for historic fire engines and for display cabinets. It will also have a fire pole in an area that will look like an old fire hall with upstairs sleeping quarters. The building is approximately 7,000 square feet in size and will include an office and restrooms. An important feature is that the front will have a brick façade with large old-fashioned wooden doors; it will have the enticing appearance of a vintage firehouse with a tower and an authentic firehouse weather vane at the top. This grant will enable the front of the building to be finished in this special style with all of the proper bricks, doors, windows, etc. to give it the proper appearance. It will also make possible the purchase of display cases and a firefighter sculpture for the front face of the building. One can see in the section below on Project Benefits, that this project fits in beautifully with the new "Downtown Jeffersonville Master Plan" of April, 2025. That extensive plan, available on the Jeffersonville Planning and Zoning website, emphasizes the current priority of continuing to develop and beautify downtown Jeffersonville including the NoCo district and the location of and around the Vintage Fire Museum. The Fire Museum is truly vital to that area and to a primary thoroughfare (Spring Street) into downtown. (The Museum is at a bus stop on the primary Louisville bus route in Jeffersonville.) The Museum's emphasis on exterior beauty, inspiration, and accessibility fit in with this new Jeffersonville plan perfectly. Project Budget: Engineering (Survey, etc.) $ 10,000 pd. Building Design $ 16,000 '/2 pd. Sewer Tap $ 6,700 pd. Building Permit $ 1,200 pd. Planning and Zoning $ 1,500 pd. Asphalt Removal $ 6,500 pd. Footings and Foundation $ 38,000 pd. Gravel $ 17,000 pd. Steel Structure with Insulation $120,000 pd. Erection of Steel Structure $ 50,000 pd. Garage Doors (Rear) $ 22,000 Concrete Floor $ 40,000 Plumbing $ 12,000 Electrical $ 30,000 HVAC $ 12,000 Specialty Doors (Front) $ 40,000 Masonry (Front) $ 40,000 Interior Carpentry $ 60,000 Fixtures $ 30,000 Management Fee $ 48,000 TOTAL $600,900 As of July 1, 2025, the unpaid amount is $342,000. In its building fund, the Vintage Fire Museum still has $135,000 available toward those expenses. The grant would successfully complete the building without the Museum's incurring a debt. Vintage Fire Museum "Historic Fire Hall Expansion" Project Benefits 1. Jeffersonville's April, 2025 Downtown Master Plan includes a number of sections that are directly relevant. It may be found at cityofjeff.net/planning-zoning/. It emphasizes that downtown Jeffersonville including the NoCo district continues to be vitally important as the heart of Jeffersonville and its further development is a priority (p.3). Items on pages 16,19, and 41 are particularly relevant to the Fire Museum. One emphasis is to incentivize the attractive development of vacant lots. (which is exactly what the new building on a former empty lot does): "The NoCo area is an important component to the energy and momentum of Downtown. Ensuring that the area continues to grow and develop in a manner that reinforces the intent of the NoCo district will be necessary to the long-term viability of this area." It is important to identify vacant properties and "create incentives to move the needle on the development of these properties" (p 16). This is exactly what the beautifully designed new building on a former empty lot does. Another emphasis is on attractive outside appearance: "The appearance and upkeep of businesses is highly important to maintaining a downtown that people want to visit and invest in" (p. 19). Again, the new building fits this perfectly. (And on p. 41 there is strong emphasis on developing and using our former building; this shows that the City is still focused on developing this area.) 2. The appearance of the new building presents a strong signal to visitors to the area that this Museum gives a focus on firefighting. It is a strong invite. Heavy traffic on Spring Street due to Schimpff's and other attractions brings tourists past the front of the Museum. In addition, the space in the building offers our first opportunity to make presentations to visitor groups of 20 or more — a vital feature in today's tourist business. 3. This building expands the Museum's opportunities to give entire families and organizations an educational and uplifting experience on firefighting, its history, and the lessons for living in safety from loss of life and properties in fires. Vintage Fire Museum "Historic Fire Hall Expansion" Project Results 1. A better place for groups to visit and even to meet. We have upwards of 30 groups per year that are 20 or more people. In one case we had a school group of 60. We do not have suitable area to seat them for presentations. One distinct concern is when we have a group of special needs youth or adults. We do not have a good area for them to sit where they can see and hear easily. Another concern is when we have school groups for the safety education lesson. Despite our spectacular exhibit and state-of-the-art equipment, groups of 20 or more cannot easily see how to use the artificial electronic fire extinguisher or the other kitchen equipment. The new building will lessen the crowding and will enable much better vision and participation. In addition, we receive requests for birthday parties and other special uses (including visitation connected to a funeral for a firefighter). We do not have a suitable place to host them. This new building will allow for that. 2. A better place for us to hold large indoor special events. In this past year we have had several special events for which we did not have a sufficient gathering area. An example is the special program we had on the Great Fire of London. We had to have the screen on the bedroom floor of our safety education area, and we had to set up chairs for the 75 or more who attended behind some of the display equipment so that people did not have a good view of the screen or speaker. We have had the same problem for our recognition event, for our 9-11 memorial if weather forces us inside, for our Santa Claus event, and more. 3. An opportunity to display items that are of special interest. The Museum possesses historic, important fire trucks from New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Louisville but is not able to display those of Jeffersonville and Louisville. In addition, the Museum owns a very rare art deco Buffalo brand fire engine that served in Bedford, Indiana and that wows visitors from everywhere, but the Museum now has no place to display it. The new building will give a beautiful area to display all of the above plus more. It could also be added that we have had to keep a couple of our trucks outside (not any of those just mentioned), and the weather has been hard enough on them that we can't keep them. This project will keep that from happening again. ,art Front Design of"Historic Fire Hall Expansion" _ " — _ _ „" a G;'� m w a: 9''' '..r... ' C f1 g a c . Progress on Building as of July 1, 2025