The seniors' wing of the Santa Rosa Finley Community Center got a big boost Wednesday with the announcement of a $1.5 million donation toward completion of the project.
The gift from the Ernest L. and Ruth W. Finley Foundation will allow construction of much of the interior of the $7 million building to proceed, including the auditorium, kitchen, caf?and art gallery.
Construction of the shell, an extension of the community center on West College Avenue, began last year. City Hall and the non-profit group Seniors Inc. have been actively seeking money to complete it.
"It's fabulous. We're pretty darn excited," said Carolina Spence, executive director of Seniors Inc., which previously has donated more than $1 million for the project.
Seeing work on the shell proceed helped convince Finley Foundation board member Norma Person, the widow of philanthropist and former Press Democrat publisher, Evert Person, to support the additional donation, said Marc Richardson, the city director of parks, recreation and community services.
"I believe that seeing the facility, being able to stand in it, envision what's on paper coming to reality and knowing it was continuing the work that Evert Person had done, I think that was a big part of this," he said.
The donation puts the city within $40,000 of the $2.2 million cost to complete the ground floor, Richardson said. The city expects to bid that work in the fall and be able to open the facility next summer, he said.
A third phase, completing the second story including a billiard room, offices, computer, art and conference rooms, is expected to cost $2.2 million, Richardson said.
Fundraising for that is underway, said Spence. There's a chili cook-off at Finley Community Center this Sunday and tours of the building with other potential donors will take place later in the summer after the first phase is complete, Spence said.
She said it's easier for potential donors to step forward once they see progress is being made toward making a project a reality.
"Money follows money," Spence said.
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