Merchants Bank Aids Confluence With $50K Gift
Another community-minded business has stepped up to the plate to help make the Confluence Project a reality. Merchants Bank announced Thursday that it is pledging $50,000 toward the community-university arts center that will be built in downtown Eau Claire.
“We believe that the Confluence Project and the new community arts center are important for our community, and as a community bank, we believe it’s our privilege to join our neighbors in our support,” said Mark Willer, president of the Eau Claire branch of Merchants Bank, 2728 Mall Drive. “We expect that the project will contribute significantly to both the cultural and economic development of Eau Claire and the entire Chippewa Valley. One of the cornerstones of the Merchants Bank philosophy is to support its customers and the communities it serves by donating volunteer time and making monetary contributions to important community projects.”
Based in Winona, Minn., Merchants Bank has 21 locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin, including an Eau Claire branch that opened in February.
The $50,000 pledge from Merchants Bank will go toward the community’s $13.5 million share of the performing arts center’s cost. Other donors have included Charter Bank, Northwestern Bank, U.S. Bank, RCU, JAMF Software, and scores of businesses and individuals who have pledged anything from $10 to $10,000.
And speaking of fundraising, Confluence backers announced last week that two philanthropic power couples will be heading the drive for donors: Tom and Jill Barland (a pair of longtime Chippewa Valley leaders) and Gerald and Meghan Bauer (who represent the numerous young entrepreneurs who have opened their wallets to the project). Meanwhile, former City Council president and county planning and development director Wallace Rogers will be coordinating the fundraising campaigns, which include efforts to obtain individual, corporate, and foundation pledges; text-to-give and challenge donations; and employee challenge programs. To learn more about how you can give, check out the Community for the Confluence site.
In addition to donor funds, the performing arts center will be paid for with $5 million from a special Tax Incremental Financing district, $3.5 million from Eau Claire County, $3 million in state tax credits, and $25 million from the state of Wisconsin. A related mixed-use development, including student housing and businesses, will be paid for privately.