Центр современного искусства di Rosa передаст 162 акра земли в Непе в управление региональному парку

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art has announced a deal that would transfer 162 acres of land — about 75% of the beloved Napa County space, which blends conceptual art and natural scenery — to the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. The arrangement will secure a permanent easement of Milliken Peak and its southeastern flank, protecting the steep acreage from development and offering greater public access to an area that has largely been off limits. There is currently a conservation easement on the parcel, according to Napa Open Space District program manager Chris Cahill, but it allows for the development of a house and 30 acres of vineyard. Now, “there will never be a home on Milliken Peak,” said Melanie Parker, CEO of the Land Trust of Napa County, a third partner in the project. “It will remain wild and scenic landscape. That’s why we put earnest money into it.” The Open Space District will own and operate the property, but the easement will remain with the Land Trust of Napa County, which is facilitating the deal with an initial $500,000 allocation to the di Rosa Center — essentially a loan on what will ultimately be a $1.85 million sale. The di Rosa Center will maintain full ownership and programming on its remaining 53.5-acre cultural campus. The sale was first announced Aug. 25. The remaining $1.35 million in funding is tied to Measure B, which will be on the local November ballot. Called the “Napa County Wildfire Preparedness, Watershed Protection and Open Space Preservation Act of 2026,” it would impose a countywide half-cent sales tax to advance the aims represented in its name. If Measure B fails to pass, the $500,000 will be a sunken cost for the Land Trust, and the permanent easement will remain. It’s a complicated solution, but a necessary one, according to Cahill. “If there were some other way to structure the deal, we would work on that. But it would likely include grants, and the timeline would make that very hard,” he said. For the di Rosa Center, Cahill said, “the clock is ticking, and it’s not clear to me they could wait.” Selling a large chunk of its real estate might be a survival strategy for the center. Di Rosa made headlines in January when it listed the entire property for sale, for $10.9 million. At the time the property was listed, di Rosa executive director Kate Eilertsen said the center had faced financial headwinds for years. “The cost of operating di Rosa’s facilities has outpaced both the endowment and charitable giving,” she said then. The listing sparked backlash among some of the center’s longtime supporters, who worried it would mean an end to its creative weaving of art and nature, which was central to the vision of artists Rene and Veronica di Rosa when they established their 217-acre preserve in 1997. The di Rosa Center quickly pulled the property from the market. The listing served another purpose, though. It got the attention of the Land Trust of Napa County, which soon began looking for partners to acquire and manage the property. “Di Rosa has been challenged to make ends meet,” Parker said. “This idea is to partner, and thereby create something bigger than the sum of its parts.” Now di Rosa leaders believe the preserve can retain its mission while standing on firmer financial footing. “Protecting and promoting the land is central to di Rosa’s dual mission of Art + Nature,” Napa-based sculptor Gordon Huether, the di Rosa board president, said in a press release. “This partnership opens the door to more people experiencing both.” One of Huether’s installments, a spiky, oversized, aluminum yucca plant, sits at the base of Milliken Peak. The peak is only 732 feet high. But a little elevation goes a long way in the gentle hills of the Carneros district, which falls away to low vineyards and wetlands to the south. It’s the highest point in the area, offering 360-degree views. The joint venture’s partners call Milliken a vital ecological corridor. “Milliken Peak has been part of our shared landscape for generations, and this easement ensures it stays that way for generations to come,” said Napa County Supervisor Joelle Gallagher, who helped broker the deal. Currently, it is accessible only through once-monthly hikes, guided by di Rosa staff. As planned, the transfer to the Open Space District will allow visitors to park at the art center for a nominal fee and hike a 2-mile trail to the peak, passing dramatic, di Rosa-owned sculptures along the way. Some of those pieces already are placed on site. The center plans to add more. “You’ll get your exercise, but it’s such a huge payoff at the top of the hill,” Cahill said. “I suspect it will be very popular. And it’s so close to the city. Historically it has been hard for us to acquire land closer to the city.” The di Rosa Center is only about 3 miles from Napa city limits. The district will use existing facilities, Cahill said, rather than building a new parking lot or other amenities. If Measure B passes, the Open Space District could get its first disbursement in July 2027, Cahill said. The parties have until October 2027 to close on this deal. You can reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @Skinny_Post.