Every few years Epicenter is fortunate enough to receive support to improve upon our very first project— the much beloved Epicenter building. Over the next year, we have some modest plans to make our facility even more safe, welcoming, accessible, and sustainable! Donate here to support our Glow Up*!
Phase I : Front Facade – Summer 2022
Given Epicenter’s location on Broadway and next to the Amtrak station, we receive many visitors; this continues to increase despite the pandemic. Our facility acts as the only public and accessible informational hub in the heart of downtown. Our planned improvements will create an outdoor space for folks to plan their desert adventure, or simply seek refuge from the blaring sun on a walk to the grocery store. With few upgrades since 2011, our front facade has tremendous potential. Proposed improvements include:
- Shading devices, built and natural
- Exterior and weatherproof information display cases
- Wayfinding and orientation materials, installed and take-away
- A customizable and lit marquee sign (eg. upcoming town events)
- Public benches and an accessible public table
- A new and improved cornice
Phase II : Neon & Riso – Summer 2022
Not many people know this but the Epicenter building had neon artwork (alas, broken) when we purchased it! In order to honor that history as well as to echo our beloved town welcome sign and clouds neon installation both by artist Lisa Ward, and the retro neon signs on Main, we’re proposing to install a small neon artwork on Epicenter that both draws visitors to our space and gives some more life to Broadway at night.
For years, we’ve been wanting both a letterpress set-up and a risograph machine, and this is the year we’re going to be able to get a riso! Thanks to a generous offer from an artist friend in Monticello, we’re finally adding a Risograph printer to our facility. Staff (and locals interested in riso) will be trained to use the machine in order to create community zines, posters, newsletters, and much more. “What’s risograph anyway?” you ask? A quick online search will give you a glimpse into their glorious potential!
Phase III : Accessibility – Fall 2022
We love our historic wooden floors, but they’ve nearly reached their limit. New floors will obviously make our space look better, but more importantly, it will ensure our main office is more accessible to all visitors. Farewell, uneven floorboards and mysterious small holes into the basement! In addition to the interior floor, our exterior concrete sidewalk, currently cracked and unsafe due to our beautiful tree, will be repaired if funds allow. Regardless of these intended upgrades, our facility maintains ADA-accessibility, but we’d simply like to do better than what is required.
Phase IV : Solar Power – 2023
We’re currently working with regional solar experts to explore options for our facility. Over the years, we’ve made upgrades to our heating and cooling, but we intend for our facility (currently all electrically powered) to be fully solar-powered by the end of 2023. Stay tuned because we will need matching funds (your donations!) to make this a reality in 2023.
How You Can Help: Donate Here
The receipt of Emery County’s Main Street Improvement Grant has brought Epicenter nearly halfway to our fundraising goal for Phases I-III. However, like most capital improvement grants, it requires a 1:1, so we critically need your donation! Thank you in advance for your support towards making these much needed facility upgrades a reality. We couldn’t do it without you!