Board of Aldermen 2-06-2020 Page 9
Ms. Novotny
No because it will, again, there’s a reason that we are in this quiet phase, it’s because of the conversations
that we are having. And once we talk about the dollar amount, we are not longer in the quiet phase, we are
in the public phase. And we have a lot more conversations to be had in the quiet phase. We all know that
our goal is $2.5. We also know that there are New Market Tax Credits that we are not sure about. So we
are committed to raising more than $2.5. We are really trying to get as close as we can to the $2.5 before
we go into the public phase. Part of the public phase is to sell the seats in the auditorium and the
Performing Arts Center; 750 seats for $1,000.00 each. That would be part of the public campaign so we
our goal is to raise more than $2.5; we just want to be as close to the $2.5 after having these conversations
that are already scheduled before we go into that public phase. We do have several members of the
community who have said they were going to help us in the public phase. So planning the events, the
social media, admin support, they are ready and their marketing support, they are really getting those
things in place now to be ready to go into the public phase. We anticipate that they will have an event
where they will invite all of our donors who are already on-board and recognize them, each of them who
want to be recognized and then announce the total. | think that momentum of announcing the total at that
type of event is going to be the most successful way to raise more money for the Performing Arts Center.
Chairman Dowd
There are several people who want to ask questions, have you got another question?
Alderman Jette
| do have more questions. So is it reasonable that these announcements could occur by the summer?
Ms. Novotny
We hope so. You know it is February and we have a really good pipeline. One of the things that we were
talking about today, because | thought this may be a question, is of all of the people that you’ve talked to
and had conversations with, has anyone that you asked said, “no”. And we don’t have anyone that has
said “no”. We have people that have pledged, we have people who said they need to, again, we are asking
not to do 10% of their income, we are asking them to go into their CD’s and savings account and take
money out of their assets to give it to us. That’s a conversation that they not only need to have with us to
really understand the project and what is going to mean to Nashua, but then they need to go and talk to
their families about it.
So in respect to them, we are giving them the time because we know any capital campaign, you don’t ask
someone and they write you a check for $1 million dollars. | wish they would, if anyone in the room wants
to, that would be great but that isn’t what happens. It is conversations, multiple conversations with people
to show them the value of what the Performing Arts Center will bring. And that’s what we are doing in face
to face meetings with these donors.
Alderman Jette
And if | could, one last question for Ms. Novotny, the State Tax Credits of $294 is that part of your $2.5 or is
your $2.5? That’s part of it? OK. Thank you.
Ms. Novotny
And | will tell you a little bit as far as those tax credits go, people who purchased those tax credits, are
making a decision to have money directed to the State of New Hampshire be applied to this project. And
they specifically choose this project. So it does show, the fact that we have already sold all of the tax
credits, does show that we have a lot of support in the community as well as from Bank of America, as well
as from many of the local banks, as well as from many of the downtown businesses.
