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Cultural institutions seek capital support for theaters, museums and performance spaces across Queens
Summary
Several arts and cultural organizations — including Museum of the Moving Image, Queens Theatre, Flushing Town Hall and CultureLab LIC — requested capital funds for climate control, theater modernization, portico restoration and outdoor venue upgrades during the borough’s FY26 preliminary budget hearing.
Representatives from multiple Queens cultural institutions presented capital requests and project updates at the FY26 Queensborough budget hearing.
Austin Smith of Museum of the Moving Image said the museum’s mechanical systems are aging and that the museum is seeking $5,000,000 toward a two‑phase renovation to address climate control, pipe freezes and other infrastructure problems that have forced intermittent closures. “Over 90% of the mechanical infrastructure in our old building is way beyond its expiration date,” he told the hearing.
Jay Rogers, general manager at Queens Theatre, requested $10,000,000 for a long‑planned modernization of the Claire Shulman Theater, citing cost escalation and an earlier transfer of funds to an emergent boiler replacement project. Rogers said the theater previously had $2.2 million allocated and now seeks a restoration of prior funding plus additional contingency to reflect rising construction costs.
Flushing Town Hall executive Samay Bouchemez requested $2,000,000 to restore a decaying wooden front portico dating to 1862, and detailed a proposed funding split across borough president, City Council and the Department of Cultural Affairs. CultureLab LIC’s executive director Edgel Wheeler requested $500,000 in capital support to professionalize lighting, sound, weather‑resistant seating and stage upgrades for an outdoor waterfront venue in Long Island City; CultureLab staff also requested expense funding for artist fees and operations.
Other cultural requests included $5,000 discretionary requests for SculptureCenter’s public programming and $1,500 for Queens World Film Festival to pay emerging creatives, plus appeals from smaller dance and arts groups for operating support. Several organizations emphasized accessibility, preservation and the role of arts sites as cooling centers, voting sites and community hubs.
No funding decisions were taken at the hearing; groups said they will apply through the borough president’s discretionary and capital channels as well as City Council and mayoral processes.
