RALEIGH, N.C. — It's been a museum with no walls and very little identity. But a city grant is expected to help give Raleigh's
Contemporary Art Museum
a boost.
Since 1997, the Contemporary Art Museum, or CAM, has used a warehouse on Martin Street in Downtown Raleigh as its offices and headquarters.
On The Web:
Contemporary Art Museum
"We've wound up having exhibits all over the city," said Linda Satterfield, chairwoman of the Contemporary Arts Foundation.
The museum recently received a $1 million grant from the city that it will use -- along with future profits -- to help fund a mixed-use development that will include a new permanent home for the museum, as well as condominiums, retail space and offices.
The $10 million to $20 million development will sit on the property of the Martin Street warehouse, which the museum owns.
Realizing that fundraising is always a challenge, the private nonprofit is turning to a developer, Grubb Properties, of Charlotte, to convert the warehouse.
"We have a mission of exploring creativity in all of our lives, in everyday lives, and I think we've put that mission to work in this project," Satterfield said.
CAM and Grubb Properties will soon start working on a design for the development, but they still are not sure if they will renovate the old 20,000-square-foot warehouse or demolish the warehouse and rebuild.
"I think it's extremely innovative" Grubb Properties business developer Sam Crutchfield said.
That's what interested the developer to get involved.
"It brings a lot of energy to this project verses what you would see with a lot of other urban and condo projects going on," he said.
Construction may start about a year from now.



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