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Board approves $4.53 million in tourist‑development grants for six cultural facility projects
Summary
The Board approved the arts and cultural affairs advisory council's recommendations and funding for six cultural facility projects (HVAC and building systems upgrades, theater and plaza renovations, and a new arts center buildout). The program requires applicant matches and awards were unanimously recommended by the review panel and council.
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Council’s fiscal year 2025 cultural facilities grant recommendations on June 6.
The cultural facilities program is funded from Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue and supports capital projects by nonprofit museums, auditoria and cultural venues. The county’s grant cycle required applicants to provide a confirmed match (50 cents match for every $1 requested) at application time; review panels scored applications on concept, facilities and financial readiness. Projects needed a minimum score of 80 out of 100 to be eligible for funding.
Six applications were submitted and all six met the eligibility and scoring thresholds. The awards and project highlights presented to the board were: - Alvin Palaszek Museum & Sculpture Gardens — $200,000 requested to replace seven HVAC units, repair/replace roofs, and replace windows and doors in historic structures; total project $300,000 (applicant match $100,000). - Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts (Winter Park) — $1,000,000 requested to renovate and expand interior performance and rehearsal spaces in the former Winter Park Library (green room, elevator, exterior signage, second- and third-floor construction); total project $1,576,922. - Orlando Family Stage — $350,000 requested for exterior LED and stage lighting upgrades and modernized exterior signage to better align with branding; total project $525,000. - Orlando Museum of Art — $970,000 requested to upgrade the building automation system and controls supporting HVAC, lighting, security and chiller/boiler systems (roof/HVAC phase 1, part 3); total project $1,457,500. - Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation — $1,040,187 requested for external site construction to support a new patrons’ room and expansion into existing parking (demolition, foundation, slab, landscaping and reconfigured circulation); total project $1,638,295. - Orlando Science Center — $2,000,000 requested to renovate the Cinedome, replace the dome screen, digitize projection and reconfigure seating; total project $3,150,000.
The review panel included arts council members and technical experts in venue production, architecture and prior grantees. United Arts provided an independent financial assessment for each applicant. The advisory council voted unanimously to recommend the six projects for award and the board approved the recommendations unanimously.
County staff will execute standard grant agreements with recipients, which include matching and reporting requirements and conditions for disbursement. The funding program has previously invested $16.9 million (since 2006) across 66 cultural facility projects, the county said.
