ACRES Land Trust Launches Capital Campaign
ACRES is one of several organizations to receive grant funding.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAfter six decades of protecting land, ACRES Land Trust is instituting its first capital campaign to renovate its home office in Allen county to help build a barn. The organization has recently seen a period of 50% growth in the amount of land it owns and protects.
“We’re protecting more land than ever and we’ve simply run out of room to work,” says Jason Kissel, executive director for the nonprofit. To restore and manage land, we need space for our equipment and projects. We also need site and office improvements for efficiency, customer service and accessibility for our growing business and for our members. “After 60 years of making-do, running the organization out of people’s homes, finally investing in proper workspaces is prudent, and long overdue,” adds Kissel.
The ACRES office has been housed in the former home of its founders, Tom and Jane Dustin. Renovations will include an accessible entryway, restrooms, office space and widening an access lane to allow for two-way traffic. Retired architect and ACRES member George Morrison has created a draft plan which honors the home’s original architecture.
The organization is working with EarthSource to limit the development footprint and chose Mosaic Building Solutions for the general contracting work. ACRES will begin raising funds for the project by selling an investment property donated by the late Art Hammer. Site work on the new project is underway, with completion set for late 2020.