The owner of Juneau’s electric utility gave a surge to the funding of the new Juneau Arts and Culture Center this week, as the Avista Foundation donated $250,000 to the initiative to construct the building.
The Avista Foundation is a community investment program of Avista Corp., the parent company of Alaska Electric Light & Power. The money is going to Partnership, Inc., which is the nonprofit organization that’s building the New JACC.
The New JACC will be built on the site of the current JACC, and the current design includes a 300-seat performing arts theatre, a multi-use community hall, a visual arts gallery, a cafe, a gift shop, offices and more.
“The Avista Foundation understands that arts drive the culture of creativity and innovation that is essential to a vibrant community,” Avista Utilities President Dennis Vermillion said, “and we are honored to be part of the development of Juneau’s new arts complex.”
The New JACC is expected to cost $26 million, and with the Avista Foundation’s contribution, 17 percent of that has been raised to date. Construction of the New JACC is projected to begin March 1, 2019 with completion expected in August 2020.
