Organizers for the Timberlake Community Complex say the project could be a few steps closer to fruition if $350,000 in federal money comes through as proposed.
The money was included in a transportation and housing appropriations bill that passed the house Thursday, Rep. Tom Perriello D-5th District, said in a news release. A similar measure still needs to pass the Senate and reconcile in committee.
The federal money would be the second-largest single funding source for the project, which is estimated to cost around $3 million for the first phase that will house the Timbrook Library.
It’s in addition to the more than $400,000 promised in corporate donations, and Campbell County already has pledged around $700,000 to go toward loan payments, said Charles Falwell, chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Falwell said he had talked several times to Perriello about finding federal money for the project and the congressman toured the existing library this spring.
“Tom thought it was a great idea and supported it and has tried to find some money for us,” Falwell said.
Fundraising for the project has remained in what Timbrook Community Complex fundraising chairman Larry Davies called the quiet stage, but 100 percent of pledges in the last year yielded the promised contributions.
“They have been absolutely wonderful in terms of support and made it very clear they are with us for the long haul,” Davies said of community members and donors. Private pledges now total about $75,000 to be given over five years.
Plans for the complex initially called for a multi-wing building with recreation facilities as well as space for the library, at a price tag of more than $6 million.
However, Campbell County library director Nan Carmack said the first phase of the project was scaled back to just include the library and would run around $3 million. “If the recreation department wants to move forward with a community gym later, that will be a separate issue.”
While the federal appropriation has passed the house, Carmack said she wanted to make sure the president signed the bill before getting too excited.
“Because of the recession and economic climate, we’re being very careful and cautious with every step we take,” Carmack said. “We don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch.”
However, Carmack said, news of potential federal funding “demonstrated yet another level of support for this project. That’s just a statement of how valuable libraries are in a community, that we have this many people working together to make this project happen.”
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