Private donations totaling an unprecedented $35.4 million-plus have been pledged to the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, thus surpassing a community challenge by the center’s namesake, The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro announced today.
The total raised as of today is $35,448,920.
“We
are most appreciative of the unprecedented level of support for this
critical project for our community,” said Kathy Manning, who is leading
the private fundraising effort. “Time and again, individuals, families,
foundations and businesses demonstrated their generosity to ensure we
build the state-of-the-art facility that will help transform Greensboro.
With this extraordinary show of support by the private sector, we are
thrilled to move on to the next step – working with the city to get the
performing arts center built.”
Fundraisers
exceeded a $35-million community challenge made by Steven B. Tanger,
president, chief executive officer and a director of Tanger Factory
Outlet Centers, Inc. On Sept. 9, shortly after fundraisers had pushed
past $20 million in pledges, Tanger announced his own $7.5-million
challenge pledge, contingent on fundraisers collecting a total of $35
million in private support.
Among the major gifts committed since Sept. 9 include:
- VF Corporation: $1 million
- Lincoln Financial Group: $500,000
- Bank of North Carolina: $125,000
“I
am very pleased that our community has dug deeply and generously to
help us achieve my challenge goal of raising $35 million,” Tanger said.
“This is an astonishing accomplishment, for which I congratulate the
fundraising volunteers. Their diligent work, and the generosity of all
of our donors, is making possible a watershed moment in the history of
Greensboro. I am filled with gratitude and excited to see this project
break ground in the coming months!”
The
success of the private fundraising efforts has resulted in the biggest
private-public partnership in Greensboro’s history. “It’s awe-inspiring
to see the $35 million goal achieved,” Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan
said. “We’re very appreciative of the residents and business leaders in
Greensboro who have invested in this important project for our
downtown.”
Ground
is expected to be broken for the center next fall, with an anticipated
opening in 2016. It will be located on land bordered by North Elm and
East Lindsay streets and Summit Avenue.
