The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is inching closer to completion with help from the Tuscaloosa County Commission, which is contributing $500,000 over the next two years for the project on Oct. 17.

The Arts Center will be in the old downtown Allen and Jemison building at Greensboro Avenue and 7th Street.

County Commission Chairman Hardy McCollum said the commission has been working with the Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County, Inc. on the CAC, which is scheduled to open Aug. 29, 2013.

“The property is across the street from the courthouse, and we have an interest in making sure the properties in and around the courthouse are attractive and well-kept,” McCollum said. “More importantly, we felt it was good for the community.”

The County Commission agreed to give $500,000 over a two-year timeframe, equaling $250,000 each year. The City of Tuscaloosa has also contributed $1.5 million toward the project, leaving the Council to raise another $1.9 million for finalizations.

Sandy Wolfe, director of the Arts Council, said they wanted to approach the government, foundations and corporations about donations before approaching the public. Birmingham’s Daniel Foundation, Alabama Power, Alabama State Council on the Arts and The University of Alabama have contributed to the project.

“Fundraising is always challenging, but especially so in a slow economy,” Jim Harrison, co-chairman of the CAC Campaign Committee, said. “Combine that with the post-tornado relief efforts last year, and it was a very difficult environment in which to be raising money for new projects.”

Renovations started May 2010, expecting the Arts Center to be open by this year. Wolfe said the city’s portions were scheduled to start shortly after the April 27 tornado, which, along with other normal construction delays, set the grand opening back.

Construction crews have been repairing and cleaning the brick, removing the carpet and linoleum on the first and second floors, adding stairwells, replacing windows, adding bathrooms and bringing electrical wiring and plumbing up to regulation. The crews are now expanding restrooms and working to refinish the heartwood pine floors on the first and second floors.

The Arts Council chose the Allen and Jemison building because of its accessibility to the community and to save it, Wolfe said. The building was only a week from destruction when the center was planned for the location.

“Sometimes, it’s really hard to find some of the arts organizations if you are not familiar with Tuscaloosa,” Wolfe said. “This center will give an easy location for people to connect to the arts.”

OVERSET FOLLOWS:The CAC will include a gallery for the Arts Council, a black box theatre, workshop space for rehearsal, music recital halls, offices for local art groups, poetry reading space and gallery space for The University of Alabama. It will also provide a home for the Tuscaloosa Symphony, community dancers and the children’s theatre.

As of now, the Arts Council has secured 80 percent of the total $3.4 million needed to complete the project.

Anyone interested in more information on how to become a partner in the project should contact Sandra Wolfe at 205-758-4994, ext. 3.