ATLANTIC – Shift ATL will receive $4,200 thanks to the Atlantic Rotary Club’s raffle held in conjunction with the club’s auction on Nov. 20.
Club members decided to donate the raffle proceeds to Shift ATL to help with costs associated with remodeling the historical downtown building that formerly housed The Downtowner.
The Shift ATL group was started by three residents, Mackenzie Bandow, Jessie Shiels and Alexsis Fleener, in 2019 to build on Atlantic’s foundation of economic development, and continue to help it grow. The group purchased the former downtown building, and are working to remodel it so it can be used for a business and living space.
Shiels said Shift ATL members are grateful to be chosen to receive the proceeds.
“We’re obviously very grateful that they chose us to be the beneficiary of that,” she said. “That puts a huge dent in a lot of the fund-raisers we were planning on for next year.”
Shiels said the funds will be used to get a mural painted on the side of the building, and members are working with a company out of Des Moines to come up with a design. Then company officials will work with local high school students to get the mural painted sometime next spring or summer.
She said the upstairs has been remodeled to use Airbnb space, and two doctors working at Cass Health have already used the space. One stayed there until mid-November, and another moved in recently with plans to stay until April. She said the space will be available to rent online at Airbnb starting on Mother’s Day weekend. Shift ATL has also partnered with Bluebird Hill Venue, and any bride who uses the venue will receive 10% off if they also book at least two nights at the Airbnb.
The downstairs is not being used for anything yet, but Shiels said the group is always open to ideas for it.
Besides the $4,200 raised from the Rotary raffle, the Atlantic Rotary Auction raised approximately $33,000 from the sale of live and silent auction items.
