Carnegie Visual Arts Center

By Jean Hindman DAILY Staff Writer

Artists, photographers, sculptors and potters of the Tennessee Valley — work is about to begin on the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur.

City Council members voted 5-0 Monday to accept a $683,330 bid from Baggette Construction Inc. of Decatur to turn the former Carnegie Library on Church Street Northeast into the Carnegie Visual Arts Center.

This and other costs for the art museum will be paid with the $800,000 the city borrowed for the project in 2001.

Decatur Arts Council has agreed to repay the city with donations — the bulk of which have already been raised. The city had to handle the construction bid because it owns the property and is leasing it to the Arts Council.