Fundraising for Morgan Hill’s long-awaited Downtown Gateway Arch has surpassed its private donation goal, and the project remains on track for a November installation timed to the city’s 120th anniversary, according to the leader of the group overseeing the project.
The Morgan Hill City Council approved the $500,000 arch on Dec. 17, with the Downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District (DMHID) agreeing to fund half of the project’s cost through its capital improvements budget and the other half through private fundraising. At the time, the district had $75,000 set aside toward its $250,000 share.
Eight months later, the district has fulfilled that full $250,000 commitment, and private fundraising has brought in $283,000 according to Larry Carr, chair of the DMHID board.
“We made a commitment to our board, to the Improvement District’s members, and to the city that we would raise a quarter million dollars toward this project,” Carr said. “To date, we have commitments of $283,000. So we’ve more than met our minimum, and we’re full speed ahead.”
Carr said the $283,000 of private donations have come from individual donors, community groups and philanthropic organizations in Morgan Hill. He said the group hopes to keep raising money beyond the goal to establish an endowment for the arch’s long-term maintenance, so those costs don’t fall on the city or taxpayers.
Donors who contribute will be recognized, Carr said, including through their names being displayed on the structure. He named several major contributors, including Dan McCranie, a founding DMHID board member; the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill; the Ford Store; and Johnson’s Lumber.
The district also plans a separate fundraising campaign allowing community members to purchase engraved bricks to be placed along the walkway surrounding the arch, though pricing and other details are still being finalized.
The arch, to be installed spanning Monterey Road at Main Avenue, will feature a double-sided silhouette of the El Toro mountain in laser-cut steel, with backlit “Downtown Morgan Hill” lettering visible at night.
The design was selected after the district’s architects presented several concepts, ranging from traditional arch designs to less conventional landmark signage, before settling on the El Toro theme with input from board members, the community and the city’s Library, Culture and Arts Commission. The structure will be illuminated and will include information about El Toro’s coordinates and significance.
The district is working with the city on permitting and aims to keep the economic impact of the project local by leaning primarily on Morgan Hill-based contractors, including Kent Construction for the general contract and Terra Amico to fabricate the metal signage components.
The majority of the assembly will be performed off-site in order to ensure that installation is quick, with organizers aiming for no more than a one-day street closure to erect the finished project.
“It’s designed to be as plug-and-play as possible, so that we have very little interruptions,” Carr said.
When the project was announced in December, it stirred controversy with some council members who described the lavish decoration as a misuse of taxpayer dollars at a time when the city is facing an unprecedented budget deficit.
Carr stressed that while the city, as one of the district’s largest property owners, does contribute a small share of the $250,000 through its property assessments, the arch is not directly funded by the city, and the city has no authority over how the district spends its budget.
The DMHID’s roughly $300,000 in annual revenue funds a mix of programs divided into three categories: maintenance, which includes the decorative lights that line downtown, street cleaning and garbage service for the sidewalk trash cans; safety, which includes the installation of security cameras, funding for additional MHPD patrols and supplementary private security service; and capital projects, which include permanent improvements like the gateway arch.
Asked about the boundary expansion currently under consideration by the city’s planning commission for a broader downtown area, Carr said it would not affect the arch’s location or the project.
“Historically in Morgan Hill, downtown has always started at Main and Monterey,” he said. “I love that they’re thinking about the benefits of expanding downtown, but the Arch will be at Main and Monterey. That is just a very traditional location for where downtown Morgan Hill is.”
