With historic public and private investments, The Center’s capital campaign has now raised $17 million
Madison, WI—February 24, 2022— In a major display of public financial support, today Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced The Center for Black Excellence and Culture will receive a $5 million grant toward capital development and building groundbreaking, which is on track to begin late this year.
The grant was announced at a press conference in South Madison featuring Governor Evers and The Center Founder & CEO Dr. Alex Gee. The Center was put forward to receive a grant by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, who committed $810,000 in county funding to The Center in 2021.
With the $5 million grant, The Center has now raised $17 million of its $36 million capital campaign in six months. The historic milestone was made possible through an unprecedented coalition of Dane County public, private and community leaders united behind The Center – inspired by an early and expansive outpouring of support across the Black community.
“We are deeply appreciative to Governor Tony Evers and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi for responding to the powerful vision of Madison’s Black community with a seismic investment in our future,” said Dr. Alex Gee. “We also appreciate Mayor Rhodes-Conway’s continual support of the project. By supporting The Center’s construction, this grant carries the multi-generational empowerment of Black families, Black business leadership, Black arts and Black excellence. Today, our collective dream of a cultural home is on the doorstep of becoming a reality.”
The Center is a first-of-its-kind Black-inspired, Black-designed and Black-led multimillion-dollar project in Madison and is poised to open its doors in late 2023. The building will be a three-level, 65,000-square-foot destination for cultural, health, business, arts and community development. Click here for the detailed floor plan.
The $5 million grant was awarded as part of Governor Ever’s $200 million Neighborhood Investment Fund grant program. The Center’s bid also received support from Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. The Center has also applied for federal New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), which should reap up to $6 million of additional funding for the project.
