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ACA seeks interim home
ACA seeks temporary home downtownDate published: 7/3/2009 BY EMILY BATTLE It could be a few years before the American Canoe Association moves into a permanent headquarters in Celebrate Virginia. In the meantime, the group hopes to establish an interim office closer to Fredericksburg's downtown and the Rappahannock River. Executive Director Martin Bartels has been scouting out potential locations along the downtown riverfront this week. The national group, which conducts training, events and advocacy for water sports and waterways, moved to Fredericksburg two years ago. Since then, it has occupied rent-free offices in Central Park, courtesy of the Silver Cos. The ACA has also made headway on plans for a permanent headquarters and National Paddlesports Center on an acre of land that Silver donated to the group in Celebrate Virginia. The site is adjacent to the land Silver donated to the U.S. National Slavery Museum. It abuts Fredericksburg's 4,200-acre conservation easement on the Rappahannock. Silver's contributions were part of an incentives package that caused the group to choose Fredericksburg over two other cities it had been looking at. The vision for the headquarters is for a sustainable building project that would use renewable energy sources and could welcome tourists to start river trips or learn about river and watersports history. The estimated price tag is $3.5 million. Bartels said the group is pursuing possible state and federal funding, as well as private fundraising. He said the ACA would like to have at least half of that money secured before it breaks ground. The plans are also somewhat dependent on the further development of the Celebrate Virginia tourism complex, since that would bring utilities closer to the ACA site. Bartels sees strong possibilities for ACA programs to partner with the proposed Kalahari Resorts water park hotel, which is currently on hold as Kalahari looks for financing for the more than $250 million project. That means the group can expect to be in temporary space for another three or four years. Bartels said the ACA wants to spend that time becoming more visible in the Fredericksburg community. The current agreement for the group's office space in Central Park runs out in spring of next year. That's why Bartels is now looking at land along the city's downtown riverfront for potential future homes.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 7/3/2009
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