FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2008
Contact:
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission: Jessica Fagan – 614.995.7552; jfagan@culture.ohio.gov
Lake County Historical Society: Kathie Purmal – 440 639 2945; Purmal@oh.rr.com
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission Approves
$250,000 for Lake County Historical Society
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $250,000 at its quarterly meeting today for the Lake County Historical Society.
The Lake County Historical Society is headquartered in the 30,000-square-foot Lake County History Center, which also houses a museum and research library, and hosts the Society’s many educational programs and special events. The center, built in the late 1870s and renovated in the 1950s and 1970s, will undergo phase one of a four-phase renovation program being undertaken by the Society. The project will renovate the building’s entrance and install an elevator utilizing state-appropriated funds. The renovations will eliminate present barriers to accessibility, allowing all visitors access to the entire building, and bringing the facility into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows the Lake County Historical Society to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 675 of the 124th General Assembly. Lake County General Assembly members who voted in favor of the bill include former Senator Robert Gardner and former Representatives Jamie Callender and Ronald Young.
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 nearly $400 million of capital funds appropriated by the legislature and Governor for facility improvement projects at non-profit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues.
The Commission partners with non-profit groups and local governments on nearly 250 projects in 65 of Ohio’s 88 counties. For more information on the Commission, visit www.culture.ohio.gov.
