BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — The Danville Art League closed a deal Thursday on the former American Red Cross building.
“It’s ours,” Art league Treasurer Roberta Williams announced excitedly on Friday of the building and the property’s acreage.
The building — three times the size of the group’s current home on Sherman Street which is now for sale — was possibly going to be moved to another nearby site to make way for a planned senior housing complex. But the Sterling Development Corp. of Mishawaka, Ind. did not receive tax credit approval for state financing last year.
Sterling Development’s Director of Development John VanMeeter said Sterling likely was to submit another tax credit application this year, and CRIS Senior Services still was interested in partnering with them.
The art league raised the $120,000 needed to purchase the vacant Red Cross building and site.
Now fundraising continues to refurbish the building’s interior to fit the needs of the art league. Williams said painting likely will come first. A computer will be set up, gallery lighting installed, rooms decorated and other improvements made.
She expects the art league could start moving in within a month.
Williams said there is perfect gallery, classroom, library and storage space in the building, and lots of windows.
