For six years, a group of lake residents have been looking for a home for the arts. It has been a sometimes-frustrating experience as two potential sites have not materialized, and the board of directors for Center at the Lake has had to start again.

"We've never become discouraged when we've had to regroup," said Steve Dorr, board president. "We know this process sometimes isn't easy."

Both sites were off Hendricks Store Road in Moneta on property owned by the Saunders family. Dorr said the proximity to a main road and the amenities in the area made the sites attractive for the arts, education and community center.

The first site, a 15-acre donation with an option to purchase an additional 15, was offered by siblings Gene Saunders and Marie Batten. Dorr said they were so sure Center at the Lake would be built on the site, the board erected a sign on the property three years ago. It still stands.

Dorr said SML Partners, developers of Sunset Cay, were negotiating the sale of the entire family farm with the Saunders family. The three entities then began discussing terms for a second site, about 20 acres, for the arts center. The property currently remains in the hands of the Saunders family.

Mike Loflin, one of the developers, said there is a lot of work that needs to be done before the arts center could locate there.

"On our end, as far as acquiring the property and getting through the engineering phases, it will be a minimum of a year," said Loflin.

In Sunset Cay's long-term development plan, he said there is a space for the arts center, but nothing is official.

"We, Sunset Cay, are still going to help them out," said Loflin. "We'll be a supporter of Center at the Lake even if they're not on our property."

Dorr said the board hasn't ruled out either site, but they're open to others. Finding a location can be difficult, he said, because of the center's needs. Dorr said they would likely need 10 acres just for parking; the building itself would have a two-acre footprint.

"The thing that makes this center challenging is that we're trying to serve a broad range of activities," said Dorr.

Center at the Lake would be open for large concerts, such as Roanoke Symphony Orchestra or Opera Roanoke, where 800 to 1,000 people could attend. It also would be open to local clubs and organizations for art, photo or quilt shows. Smaller rooms could be used by local arts clubs for meetings and activities.

A development plan drawn for the original site had one facility for these activities with a separate facility for arts education. Dorr said the board would like to change the plan to encompass all facets of the center into one building.

"We're trying to create a facility that will accommodate [art] education both for Bedford County and Franklin County schools," he said. "We would also be open to continuing education for Central Virginia Community College and other four-year universities who are interested in satellite learning centers."

As the board continues its search, Dorr said it would like to have a Moneta address for the arts center. He said the board currently is looking into a third site, but that it was too premature to provide details.

"We've created a lot of expectation and haven't delivered anything yet," said Dorr. "Until we actually physically own our site, we're not going to do a lot of publicity. ... I don't want to get people excited again until we're close."

Dorr said he hopes board members will be able to secure a site this year. Once they do, he said they'll start a capital campaign to make the arts center dream a reality.

"I'm very excited about this project," he said. "When it's complete, this will be a jewel at the lake."