Woodstock-based Elm Street Arts Gets Donation For Land

Two companies have donated tens of thousands of dollars in materials to complete the event green for the Elm Street Cultural Arts Village. 

Austin Outdoor, based in central Florida, and Atlanta-based Highland Waterworks, Inc. donated nearly $20,000 worth of materials and labor to build the event green portion of four acres Elm Street Arts plans to move to in the near future. 

"Elm Street fits in perfectly with the type of projects we like to assist in our corporate outreach program," said Brian Wester, regional vice president of Austin Outdoor.

Jim Hester, president of Highland Waterworks, added his company was "happy to be involved in this community effort."

Walton Communities, which is building an apartment complex in downtown Woodstock, also donated "significant amounts of material and labor" towards grading and infrastructure work last year, said Shawn McLeod, president of the Elm Street Arts Board of Directors. 

Melissa Casteel, principal landscape architect of Mondo Land Planning + Design, is also donating services for the site on an ongoing basis.

Ann Litrel, director of fundraising for Elm Street, said the event green will have multiple uses for the community, such as hosting outdoor festivals and markets, recreational space for the city's Greenprints Trail network and venue for Elm Street Arts and local businesses to hold outdoor performances and classes. 

Elm Street Arts currently operates out of the Chambers at City Center in downtown Woodstock, but members of the Elm Street board of directors have been in the process of fundraising and remodeling the old Reeves home that sits on Elm Street. 

The home and the land it sits on would be used as the permanent place for Elm Street Arts, and could feature a community theatre, visual arts center and green space.