FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2009
Contact:
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission: Jessica Fagan – 614.995.7552; jfagan@culture.ohio.gov
Cincinnati Museum Center: Chad Mertz – 513.373.6592; CMertz@cincymuseum.org
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission Approves
$2.5 Million for Cincinnati Museum Center
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $2.5 million at its quarterly meeting today for the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Recognized as one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the country, the Cincinnati Museum Center will continue the restoration of its historic dining rooms as the first phase in the museum’s master plan. The state funds approved today will be used to replace approximately 80 historic windows with new, matched windows and will restore an additional 4,000 square feet of dining room space, bringing to nearly 12,000 square feet the dining room space that will be restored as a result of the project.
The Cincinnati Museum Center is housed in the former Union Terminal train station, which opened in 1933 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was renovated in 1990 and re-opened as the Cincinnati Museum Center, a joint facility for five allied museums and attractions: the Cincinnati History Museum, the Cincinnati Historical Library, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Duke Energy Children’s Museum, and the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theatre.
The Commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows the Cincinnati Museum Center to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 562 of the 127th General Assembly. Hamilton County General Assembly members who voted in favor of the bill include Senators Eric Kearney, Robert Schuler and Bill Seitz; Representatives Louis Blessing, Dale Mallory, Robert Mecklenborg, and Tyrone Yates; and former Representatives Steve Driehaus, Jim Raussen, and Michelle Schneider.
The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission is a state agency that helps enhance the quality of life for Ohioans by improving the state’s cultural facilities. Since 1988, the Commission has disbursed more than $400 million in capital funds appropriated by the Legislature and Governor for facility improvement projects at nonprofit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues. The Commission partners with nonprofit groups and local governments on more than 300 projects in 72 of Ohio’s 88 counties. For more information on the Commission, visit www.culture.ohio.gov.
