The Berea Gallery & Events Center, commonly known at the Tolle Building, is expected to open in August, according to city officials.
Berea Business and Tourism Development Director Donna Angel revealed the plan last week, noting that the finishing touches are being added now, including landscaping, new furnishings, as well as a warming kitchen that can be used by caterers.
Demand for renting the facility from the city is already high, Angel told the Berea Tourism Commission last week, noting that customers are already lining up.
“We currently have 24 people on a waiting list to reserve the facility,” Angel told the commission during last week’s business meeting. “Christmas is coming fast, so we don’t have many dates open in December.”
The announcement comes in the wake of a decision by the Berea Planning Commission and the Berea City Council to amend the 2024-2025 annual tourism budget to allow for the finishing of the warming kitchen as well as other amenities.
At the June 4 business meeting, the council unanimously amended the construction budget for the center to $682,838, above the 2024-2025 projection of $600,000. The additional funds will pay for kitchen equipment, exterior lighting, bases for a fountain and sign for the center, as well as landscaping and parking lot striping.
Angel told the city council the warming kitchen will be an important component in attracting organizations staging seminars, small conventions, as well as catering for private events and receptions.
“That will allow us to have full services for a catering company to come in,” Angel said. “If they hold a conference there, no one will have to leave the building for lunch breaks. With the warming kitchen, they [caterers] can do everything they need.”
Another potential source of revenue to help recoup the cost of operation may be catering fees. Former tourism commissioner Rick Thomas recommended Berea follow the example of other cities, charging caterers 15-20 percent of their profits from events.
Meanwhile, Councilmember Cora Jane Wilson stated amending the budget now could save taxpayer money later, since it may be more economical for the city to install the warming kitchen while other construction is being completed.
“It would be a $200,000 change order if we do it later,” Wilson said.
The Berea Gallery & Events Center will be decorated by works by local and regional artists, and it will serve as a venue for gallery hops and other community events. In addition, the center will have space for LearnShop artisan courses, as well as office and media production space for the tourism department in the upstairs rooms.
The main room will accommodate up to 80 people for seminars, small conventions and private events, and the building also has a conference room for rent by corporate clients.
The Berea Welcome Center in Artisan Village/Old Town will continue to function in its current capacity, say officials, however, the new center may also spur economic development in that section of town, which serves as a very prominent gateway into the city, officials said.
Originally built in 1994, the gallery was purchased by the City of Berea from artist Mitchell Tolle in 2015.
City of Berea, KY 