Roswell committee to apply for arts grant to replace failing dimmers at Cultural Arts Center

The Roswell committee authorized staff to apply for a Georgia Council for the Arts facilities grant to replace aging dimmer switches at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.

Stephen Malone, director of Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs, told the committee the center currently has about 96 dimmers "that are beginning to fail and become inoperable." Malone said the original manufacturer and service company is no longer in business, which has made repairs difficult.

"This opportunity is a grant that's being, hosted to the Georgia Council for the Arts. We are proposing that this grant, which is a 1 to 1 match, go towards the Roswell Cultural Arts Center," Malone said. He described the proposal as an $80,000 project with a $40,000 grant request matched by $40,000 from the city's grant contingency fund.

Malone said the city has successfully received this grant in recent years and used it to accelerate audio-visual and lighting upgrades at the Cultural Arts Center in prior award cycles. "This was the same grant opportunity in which we were able to escalate our AV and lighting, kind of retrofit at the Cultural Arts Center," he said, referencing prior awards in 2022 and 2024.

Council member Jiwi Hills moved to authorize the application; Council member Sarah Beeson seconded. With no further discussion, the committee voted unanimously to approve the motion.

The committee did not specify next steps if the grant is awarded; staff only requested permission to apply. No timeline for project implementation was provided in the discussion.