After successfully operating a visual arts center for decades in a former water treatment plant on the edge of town, the local Arts Council was given the opportunity to move into the urban core in a historic warehouse being offered to them by a local bank. While becoming part of Salisbury's revitalized downtown was appealing, the relocation would require a significant addition to the warehouse to accommodate their expanding programmatic needs and a major capital campaign to fund the construction cost.
Utilizing the Federal and State Historic Investment Tax Credits became a significant part of the funding strategy for this project. Therefore, both the renovation of the historic building and the addition were subject to compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings. The placement of the addition became the new public face for the Visual Arts Center, but its design quietly deferred to the importance of the existing historic structure. The final solution was embraced by the community and the private capital campaign exceeded its goals.
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