Supporters of 1914 Myakka schoolhouse see project completion in 2018

Efforts over the past quarter century to save Myakka City’s historic 1914 schoolhouse have always been hamstrung by a lack of funding.

But a $100,000 grant award from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation should help complete the project in 2018, said Marilyn Coker, president of the Myakka City Historical Society.

This is the second grant received from the Selby Foundation, which had previously provided $50,000 to help with the building infrastructure.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Coker said Wednesday. “We are so grateful to all the people who supported us all these years.”

The grant — along with matching funds from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Manatee County Neighborhood Services, Mosaic, Myakka City residents and businesses — will fund the $293,400 budget to complete the restoration of the schoolhouse building.

The 5,500-square-foot structure, at 10060 Wauchula Road, was the primary educational facility for the Myakka City community for almost 80 years.

In its new incarnation, it will house a 150-seat auditorium, catering kitchen, museum, public library, computer lab and classrooms for art and educational activities.

Plans for the auditorium include hosting concerts, weddings, receptions, family reunions, anniversaries, birthdays, town hall meetings, club meetings and banquets. When the restoration is completed, the building once again will be the cultural center of the community.

In previous years, Mosaic provided $75,000 for a new roof and allowed the historical society to hold the remainder as matching funds for other grant applications.

Walter Carlton, who serves as a director for the historical society and project manager, said he is hopeful all interior work can be completed by Sept. 30, 2018, if not earlier.

All that would remain to be completed for the facility to receive its certificate of occupancy would be landscaping, parking, fill and leveling, he said.

“There is a good chance that we can have all of that done by the end of 2018,” Carlton said.

Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, welcomed the news of the anticipated completion of renovations.

The schoolhouse and its museum will help in the creation of day trip trails, where visitors can learn about the history of Myakka City, stop at Dakin Dairy, visit training sessions of the Herrmann Lipizzan Stallions and take a ride on a zip line ride at TreeUmph! Adventure Course.

The general contractor and local subcontractors providing discounted services include Coastal Construction and Restoration, Country Oaks Enterprises, Hartman Wood Flooring, A&B Electric of Sarasota, Neton Inc., Kurtz Aluminum, Thomas Painting and Jeff Long Air Conditioning.

Once the building restoration is completed, fundraising activities will be needed for additional items, such as fixtures, equipment and appliances and landscaping. The first scheduled event will be the annual dress performance of the Herrmann Lipizzan Stallions’ “A Tribute to Colonel Ottomar Herrmann” on March 4.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house will be held in 2018 to celebrate the completion of the building restoration and recognize the volunteers and contributors who made it possible.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Supporters of 1914 Myakka schoolhouse see project completion in 2018."