Special Board of Aldermen 09-28-2020 Page 6
a lot of interest, obviously, from Board of Aldermen and the public of where we are at with fundraising.
We've talked over and over again, over several months or years, the last year and a half about the 5 phase
that was necessary to be in.
We feel that it is very important now and | think we owe it to the Board of Aldermen and the public to
announce this evening where we are at and that number where the Capital Campaign Committee has
raised to date is $1,523,500.00. So that is where we are to date, that’s before even gong to the public
phase and a lot of other things. | would like to turn it over to Deb Novotny, as Chair of the Capital
Campaign Committee, to probably go into a few more details of where we are going from here, and any
other comments that she might have. But! am pleased to let everybody know what that amount is. So I’d
like to turn it over to Deb if | could.
Chairman Dowd
Yes, Deb?
(Technical Issues)
Deb Novotny
Hello? Sorry about that, can you hear me?
Chairman Dowd
Deb, if that’s you, yes we can hear you.
Ms. Novotny
This is me, sorry. Thank you, Chairman Dowd, | unmuted my phone, | didn’t realize | had to anything else.
My name is Debbie Novotny | live at 65 McKenna Drive in Nashua, New Hampshire. | am an employee at
Enterprise Bank. My expertise is in commercial lending and underwriting which includes a deep
understanding and skill in analyzing financial statements and forecasting business goals. My passion is in
helping small businesses succeed. We are excited about the progress of the fundraising, but | wanted to
first take a second to explain why | decided to join the Capital Campaign Committee. | first looked at the
project from the perspective of a Nashua resident that loves the arts and music and was really looking
forward to having the opportunity to attend the venue (inaudible) downtown. But at the same time, my
professional side also evaluated the project for what it really is; not an expense but an investment in the
economic growth of Nashua.
Not many residents know that where the Performing Arts Center will sit at 201 Main Street is a US Census
Tract deemed a qualified opportunity zone. It’s the single most low-income Census Tract in the State of
New Hampshire. That is why we are qualified for the Tax Credit Program. When the New Hampshire
CDFA granted us the $367,500.00 in CDFA Tax Credit, they stated, “The Performing Arts Center is one of
the driving forces behind New Hampshire Communhity’s strong resilient and vibrant places. This project
renovates a vacant building providing a strong economic benefit to the local community through downtown
redevelopment, access to arts and culture and job creation”, which goes along right with what Mayor
Donchess is saying.
Also, this project is slated to be completed in late 2021/early 2022 and the timing of this project is actually
perfect. It will provide construction jobs now and it is going to be ready for the pent-up demand from both
performers and audience that is projected by the Live Entertainment Industry for early 2022. | hope this
helps you understand why | and so many other people are both personally and professionally passionate
about bringing all of the benefits of the Performing Arts Center to Nashua. So what we are doing now is we
continue to follow up with a number of large donors who have expressed interest in supporting the project.
