11th anniversary book 114 FINAL online - Flipbook - Page 29
An additional significant challenge impacting these negotiations was that a guaranteed maximum price, or
GMP, had still not been issued for the construction on the center. This was originally to be issued in the
summer of 2007 but delays because of site contamination affected this from occurring. It was a tense time for
all due to the potential that the project would collapse. The funders did not want to issue more payments and
construction would not continue without guarantees that payments would continue. After intense negotiations,
Círculo, funders and the Town of Hempstead IDA agreed to modify loan documents to reflect needed changes
ensuring that the project could continue. The end result was that Círculo received approvals from the funders
to continue to the project.
New Vision for the Center
The new vision for the Center was drastically different from the original. Gone were the architectural effects
showing window boxes and designs with Spanish flair. Square footage, windows, elevators to the roof, a
rooftop gallery and deck, materials and other items were eliminated from the building. Círculo was only
able to complete classrooms on the first floor. The second floor had one small finished room, the rest was
unfinished space left as storage. The lower level was also left as unfinished space. Kitchen items including
stoves, sinks, and preparation areas were reduced to ensure that there were funds to complete the building and
allow for sufficient time to pay the loan during construction. While Círculo was happy to move forward with
the project, the new Center was very different from original concepts. Rafael Rothschild was instrumental in
helping to create an affordable design for the Center, in spite of austerity cuts, using color to restore style to
the facility.
Fundraising Efforts to Support the Build-out of the Center
Círculo continued to look for alternative funding sources to build out the center and replace items that had
been value engineered. Sarah and Gil worked on an application with a consultant to request funding support
from Empire Development Funds that was not approved. They also worked on an application to the Dormitory
Authority of the State of New York (DASNY). This proposal was to support “green” features of the building,
including the “green” roof and the geothermal system among other features. This was also not approved.
Support from the Governor’s Wife, Silda Wall Spitzer
In March of 2008, Gil and Sarah had an important meeting with Silda Wall Spitzer, the wife of then Governor,
Eliot Spitzer. Mrs. Spitzer was an advocate of sustainability and Círculo was hopeful that it would obtain
support for its “green” initiatives with the goal of being the first nonprofit in New York State to achieve
“green” status. The week of the meeting, however, news of a scandal broke and the governor resigned shortly
afterwards. There would be no meeting with Mrs. Spitzer.
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