• Rotary Year: 2017-2018
  • Application Date: 5/31/2017
  • Club Name: Salem
  • Project Name: Downtown Salem Library Patio Seating
  • Project Total Expenditures: $15,000.00
  • Grant Amount Requested: $4,000.00
  • Describe the Project, its location and its objectives: The Rotary Club of Salem’s Financial Vision Committee has had on-going discussions with Salem City officials and planning department concerning ways in which the club might participate in contributing to and participating in Salem’s Downtown Renewal Project. As a result of those discussions, the club has agreed to participate in the purchase of outdoor patio furniture for placement in downtown Salem, in the patio area adjacent to the Salem Library.

    The Rotary Club of Salem proposes to purchase sturdy and stylish patio seating sets consisting of tables, seat benches, and umbrellas for public use by visitors to Salem’s downtown area. Other options, such as one piece connected furniture sets are under consideration as well. Please see attached computer image.

    The patio site is ideally located on Salem’s West Main Street in the heart of downtown Salem next to the Salem City Library, and is highly visual and easily accessible to downtown visitors. Potential users are anticipated to include visitors, shoppers, tourists, workers, Roanoke College visitors, and patrons of downtown festivals, and services.

    The type and style of the patio furniture will be compatible with other outdoor furniture to be situated elsewhere in the downtown area. Each furniture piece will proudly and prominently display the Rotary logo.

    The City of Salem has targeted this specific location as a means to add easily accessible, attractive, and highly visual seating for public use and gatherings.

    The patio area will be easily integrated with normal pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow, and will serve as a well located and very functional enhancement to Salem’s downtown.

    The up-keep of the furniture and surrounding patio area will be maintained by City of Salem staff.
  • This is the Club’s: Primary Project Application
  • Expected Start Date: 7/31/2017
  • Expected End Date: 4/30/2018
  • Expected Number of Beneficiaries: 18000
  • Describe how the project will benefit the community and/or improve the lives of the less fortunate: The mission of Salem’s Downtown Project is to increase the overall volume of visitors to Salem’s downtown district and enhance their visits by rejuvenating, integrating, and improving the functionality of existing spaces into inviting and accessible destinations in and of themselves. A conservative estimate for usage of the library patio area is between 16,000 and 20,000 visits per year.

    The Library Patio location is ideally situated near large office complexes comprised of the Commonwealth of Virginia, County of Roanoke, and City of Salem. These offices employ hundreds of staff, and receive many hundreds of visiting customers each business day. Many of the customers include low-income earners and families, often seeking guidance and / or assistance from these public agencies.

    The Salem Library Patio site is also the location of a prominently displayed Little Free Library Box, which is a result of a District Grant awarded in 2015/2016. The box was installed during Old Salem Days, which is sponsored by Salem Rotary Club as an annual fundraiser to benefit the community. See attached picture.

    The purpose of the Library Patio renovation, and in particular the public seating project specifically to be sponsored by the Rotary Club of Salem, is to further the City of Salem’s mission to offer increased easily accessible public use spaces to benefit all visitors to the City’s downtown area.

    An ancillary benefit to the essential purpose of the furniture for placement in the Library Patio will be to enhance the experience which school students have when they visit the library. Also, during the school year, a number of middle school students from nearby Andrew Lewis Middle School often visit the Salem Public Library in the afternoon following the school’s dismissal.

    The students utilize the library’s various resources for educational purposes, such as using periodicals and computers for research, and quiet areas for reading. The adjacent Library Patio space in which the furniture will be situated will offer additional comfortable space for the students to access during limited periods of time on nice weather days during the school year, from approximately 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

    Please visit the following web-site for additional information on the City of Salem’s Downtown Plan:

    http://www.salemva.gov/departments/planning/PlanningDevelopment/TheDowntownPlan.aspx
  • Estimated Total Project Volunteer Hours: 40
  • Describe the Rotarian hands-on activities in the project (i.e. non-financial participation): Members of the Rotary Club of Salem will work with the City of Salem regarding the itemized list of furniture, vendor selection, placement of orders, verification of deliveries, installation of engraved Rotary Wheel logos. The final payment of invoices will be the club’s responsibility.
  • Describe the publicity plan to inform the general public that this is a Rotary sponsored project: We will seek publicity for this project through the Salem Times Register; Mike Stevens, Director of Communications for the City of Salem; Rotary District 7570 Newsletter; Salem Rotary Club Website; WSET-TV coverage; and Facebook. The furniture will prominently display engraved Rotary Wheel seals.
  • Cooperating Organizations – Please list each cooperating organization, if any: The cooperating organization is the City of Salem. The Rotary Club of Salem and the City of Salem work cooperatively together on a myriad of projects which benefit the local and even broader area communities and this project is an extension of that relationship. This long-standing cooperation is based on shared goals, values, and expectations.
  • Letter(s) of Participation: SalemSeatingProjectLtr-Tripp.pdf
  • Project Expenditure Budget – list detail uses of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: See Budget Upload.
  • Project Funding Budget – list detail sources of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: See Budget Upload.
  • Budget Upload:DowntownSalemProjectBudget2017.docx
  • Primary Contact Name: Frank Peck
  • Primary Contact Rotary Position: Grant Writing Committee Chair
  • Primary Contact Email: rfpeckpremier@cox.net
  • Primary Contact Phone: 540-353-8684
  • Financial Contact Name: Chuck Kiser
  • Financial Contact Rotary Position: Club Treasurer
  • Financial Contact Address: 
    Shults, Kiser and Associates
    225 South Market Street
    Salem, VA 24018
    United States View on Map
  • Financial Contact Email: skiserasso@cs.com
  • Financial Contact Phone: 540-389-0133
  • District Grant Project Authorization LetterProjAuthorizationLtr.pdf
  • Project Supporting Uploads:OSD Rotary Library Team.jpg, SalemDowntownPlan.jpg
  • Grant Number: 1718-17
  • Grant Award: $2,000.00