About | Peterson Community Hub

Project Phasing

Phase One:
Building Activation
(Now–2026)

Renovation of East Wing
Multi-purpose gathering hall
Flexible program and meeting rooms
Renovated kitchen for shared meals
Technology infrastructure for telehealth and remote access
Low-barrier scheduling and access systems

The space is already used informally for basketball, volleyball, and fitness. First phase of the renovation will be completed by the end of 2026, with soft launch operations beginning January 2027.

Our operational model blends:

Free access for essential services (telehealth rooms, informal gathering)
Affordable fees for reservable event space
Partner-led programming
Volunteer-supported operations
Diversified funding streams

We are designing for flexibility and long-term sustainability—not dependency on a single revenue source.

Phase Two:
Land Restoration & Food Sovereignty (Next Horizon)

The three acres surrounding the school provide opportunity for:

A restored greenhouse (reviving a former school greenhouse footprint)
Prairie and pollinator restoration
Soil regeneration
Organic community gardens
Edible perennials and berry systems

The former school once experimented with food growing and restoration. We aim to bring that lineage forward—integrating food systems, education, and ecological stewardship.

Phase Three:
Watershed & Regenerative Vision (Long-Term)

Ten additional acres connect the school site toward the Root River.

Future exploration includes:

Prairie restoration to reduce agricultural runoff
Ecological buffer systems
Beautifully designed, flood-conscious intentional living structures elevated above the floodplain
Regenerative land use aligned with Driftless hydrology

This is not speculative development—it is systems thinking rooted in place.

Expected Impact

If this model succeeds, rural residents will:

Reduce long-distance travel for basic services
Access telehealth and wellness locally
Rebuild cross-generational relationships
Increase informal support networks
Participate in creative and civic life

At a systems level, PCH aims to demonstrate a replicable rural framework:

Adaptive reuse of existing buildings as multi-system community infrastructure.

We expect measurable outcomes over time, including:

Increased local participation
Reduced reported isolation
Expanded cross-sector partnerships
Strengthened informal social networks
Improved local food engagement

The broader relevance extends beyond Peterson and Fillmore County. Rural Minnesota—and rural America—needs scalable, community-driven infrastructure models.

Who Benefits

Primary impact populations include:

Older adults
Veterans
Families with limited transportation access
Residents facing mobility or income barriers
Remote workers and telehealth users
Creative practitioners and community organizers

The space is designed to be intergenerational, inclusive, and low-barrier.

Our Team

Monte Jarvis

Board Member, Vision & Community Engagement Lead
Brings nonprofit leadership, data-informed planning, rural systems and intentional living insight, and project coordination experience.

Lori Barbero

Board Chair, Artistic Liaison
Musician and creative producer with decades of experience building inclusive artistic communities.

Scott Smith & Deanna Arce

Owners of the Peterson School Project
Led acquisition and redevelopment. Deanna serves on the board, ensuring alignment between ownership and public mission. Scott is a seasoned General Contractor & Artisan.

This integrated governance structure reduces common rural redevelopment risks by aligning building ownership, nonprofit operations, and long-term sustainability planning.

Why Now

The building is under renovation with significant capital investment already secured. Construction is active. Momentum is real.

However, rural redevelopment does not succeed on capital alone.

Operating support, programmatic investment, and systems-learning partnerships are essential to ensure long-term impact.

We are particularly interested in funders who:

Understand rural systems complexity
Value adaptive, community-driven design
Support experimentation and learning
Are willing to fund operations, not just construction

Funding Pathways & Capital Strategy

Peterson Community Hub (PCH) and the Peterson School Project (PSP) operate as aligned but distinct entities. This structure allows us to pursue layered, appropriate financing tools—matching capital type to purpose.

1. Nonprofit (PCH): Programmatic & Operating Investment

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, PCH can receive:

General operating support
Program-specific grants
Multi-year capacity-building funding
Innovation and systems-change grants
Community health and food access funding
Arts, cultural, and civic engagement grants
Sponsorships and philanthropic gifts

Operating capital is critical. While renovation is foundational, the long-term success of this work depends on staffing, programming, coordination, evaluation, and partnership development.

We seek funders willing to invest in:

Infrastructure activation (not just construction)
Flexible programming responsive to community needs
Rural capacity-building
Learning and documentation of the model

Multi-year, flexible operating support will create stability during the early years of launch (2027–2030).

2. PSP (Peterson School Project): Redevelopment & Long-Term Asset Financing

PSP, as the property owner and redevelopment entity, can access complementary capital tools more appropriate to real estate and land development, including:

Low-interest or no-interest program-related investments (PRIs)
Community development loans
Revolving loan funds
CDFI-backed financing
Impact investment capital
Energy-efficiency or green infrastructure financing
Agricultural and conservation financing for future land restoration

This allows philanthropic dollars to leverage larger capital structures when appropriate—particularly for:

Energy upgrades and long-term efficiency
Greenhouse construction
Land restoration infrastructure
Site development aligned with floodplain and ecological realities
Revenue-generating residential or studio components that strengthen sustainability

By separating nonprofit operations from property-level financing, we reduce risk, protect charitable assets, and create opportunities for blended capital stacks.

3. Blended Capital Approach

The overall strategy combines:

Public grant capital (for renovation)
Philanthropic operating support (for activation)
Low-interest redevelopment financing (for sustainability components)
Earned revenue (facility use, events, studio/residential support)
Volunteer and community in-kind contribution

This layered approach reflects how rural projects must operate—creatively aligning multiple funding streams to build durable infrastructure.

Why This Matters to Funders

Many rural projects stall because capital is mismatched:

Buildings are renovated without operating support.
Programs are funded without stable infrastructure.
Land is acquired without restoration planning.
Vision outpaces financial architecture.

We are intentionally building a financing structure that matches tool to purpose.

Funders can engage at multiple levels:

Catalyst funders (operating launch support)
Systems funders (multi-year model development)
Impact investors (low-interest capital for long-term sustainability)
Conservation and land funders (Phase Two and Three restoration)
Health and food systems funders (telehealth, kitchen, greenhouse activation)

Each investment layer reinforces the others.

Partnership & Learning

We see potential funders not only as investors, but as collaborators in learning.

How can rural communities build adaptive infrastructure?
How can shared space reduce systemic fragmentation?
How can ecological restoration and civic life reinforce one another?

Peterson Community Hub offers a real-world site to explore those questions.

An Invitation

On land shaped by ancient seas and living rivers, Peterson Community Hub is building something both practical and ambitious:

A shared place where systems meet.
A model for rural resilience.
A tradition of adaptation carried forward.

We invite you to help build it.