by Danielle Portteus, The Monroe Evening News, September 13 2008
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Evening News photo by BRYAN BOSCH |
The Friends of the Academy Preserve are a private, nonprofit organization, in conjunction with the Community Foundation of Monroe County, working to permanently preserve 127 acres of land owned by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The land currently has mixed use, including some rented farmland (above) and the oak savannah (below).
The Friends of the Academy Preserve has renewed its fundraising efforts to acquire land owned by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The group is a private, nonprofit organization, in conjunction with the Community Foundation of Monroe County, working to permanently preserve 127 acres of land owned by the IHM.
The county applied for a $2.2 million Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant last year that would help create the space called the Academy Preserve. However, the county could not be awarded the grant because not enough matching funds were raised. The matching money and grant money would purchase much of the land behind the IHM Motherhouse facility. Sisters Island and some shoreline on W. Elm Ave. would also become part of the preserve.
The Friends and the county are seeking help from the community to raise money to secure the grant to purchase the property, which features oak openings, forests, farm fields, river frontage, and Sisters Island. The property would become a publicly owned land preserve that would be used for education, recreation, agriculture and open space.
Robert Peven, county planner, said in order to be considered for the grant, about $750,000 needs to be raised by the community.
"We are close to $300,000 thus far," Mr. Peven said. "Most of our money has been through fundraising and local businesses."
The most significant donation, Mr. Peven said, was a $200,000 pledge from DTE Foundation.
The Natural Resources Trust grant would cover about 75 percent of the total cost to purchase the land, which is estimated to cost about $2.9 million.
Danielle Conroyd, the project director for the long-range master plan for the IHM, said that an actual price for the property has not been agreed upon. The IHM has paid for surveys to estimate the price.
"We want a fair price for the property and have set some parameters," Ms. Conroyd said. "The numbers (price) aren't within the parameters we're expecting."
Despite the price discrepancies, the IHM is willing to work with the Friends to create the preserve for education, Ms. Conroyd said.
"We have to work together on this," she said. "If we can make this happen, we want this, too."
The Friends are offering a land "sale" where interested participants can purchase a 1-acre- by-1-acre square of the land. The donations, which are tax deductible, go directly toward the purchase of the property.
A square of land can be purchased for $1,500. A quarter of a square can be purchased for $500. Blocks of two or more squares are being sold for $1,200 each. The group faces an Oct. 1 fundraising deadline to meet the requirements for the grant, Mr. Peven said.
There are several feature squares, which are specific areas of property. For example, the visitation grounds area would sell for $8,750 or the east forest sells for $10,000. Contributions to the land sale will be recognized in a permanent display that will be located at the preserve.
Pam Harwood, a founding member of The Friends of the Academy Preserve, said her and her husband, Ed, want to save the property.
"We're very hopeful with the continuing fundraising efforts," she said. "We've got good pledges coming in."
The group is hopeful it will secure the funding needed this year to being the land acquisition.
"Anybody we approach is very positive about this project," Mrs. Harwood said. "I hope the enthusiasm is there with the public to help us with this project."
The Harwoods have lived in the neighborhood near the property for 30 years.
"We stayed here because it was so beautiful," Mrs. Harwood said. "We enjoyed going over there to walk. When we heard the sisters were going to sell it, we were sad. We wanted to preserve it because we think it's so beautiful."
With the help of others, Mrs. Harwood said the property will be enjoyed by future generations.
"I think this property is an asset to the city," she said. "Hopefully it will be around for generations to come."