The Denver Press Club has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the History Colorado State Historical Fund to replace its roof and overhaul its entire HVAC system.
It is among the largest grants the Press Club has ever received, and it is the first part of a planned three-phase project to help the Club restore its historic building for its 100th anniversary in 2025. Building committee chairman Jim Clarke worked extensively for the last year to seek fund for the project. The Club originally applied for the grant in October 2018 but was denied. Clarke returned to the selection committee, sought advice, gathered more material to bolster the application, and submitted again several months ago.
“I want to emphasize just how significant this is for the Club,” president Daniel Petty said in a statement. “Three years ago this month, the Club found itself in an extraordinarily difficult financial situation, with only a few dollars in its bank accounts and in danger of permanently closing its doors. Thanks to numerous dedicated volunteers and board members, we have emerged stronger. We still have more work to do, and complacency cannot be something we accept. But this award is the latest milestone in our effort to make the club a destination in Denver, Colorado and the United States for discussing critical issues facing media while providing a gathering space for journalists and those who support the First Amendment in the community.”
The Club is required to provide an additional $70,000 in matching funds for the project to ensure we have a stake in its outcome.
The Gates Family Foundation has already generously donated $35,000 toward that match, but Club members need to raise the last $35,000. If every one of the Club’s roughly 450 members donated $80, the Club would have enough funds for the match.
Supports may donate via our PayPal Giving link or by sending a check directly to the Press Club at 1330 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO 80204. In the memo, write “Historic Grant Match.”
The funds are being deposited in a restricted savings account that the organization will deploy as it begins working with the architects and contractors for the project.
