Title
Approval to Apply for a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant for the Armory Creative Campus
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee, although the Arts Commission has been informed of the grant possibility.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve an application for a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town Grant for the Armory: Creative Campus - Facility Design.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve an application for a NEA Our Town grant for the Armory: Creative Campus - Facility Design. Because this is a matching grant application, with implications for the City budget, staff is requesting Council approval before moving forward.
In addition, as part of the application, the highest-ranking official of the local government is required to submit a formal statement of support designating the project as the one of the up to two applications being submitted for the local government.
Staff Contact:
Angel Nava, Arts Programs Specialist, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.753.8384
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar item.
Background and Analysis:
The Olympia Armory is a 50,000 sq ft 1930's historic facility located next to our downtown creative district. In 2021, the Washington State Military Department plans to move to a new space leaving the Armory available for other uses. Recently, Governor Inslee signed an order offering the opportunity to transfer the Olympia Armory to the City of Olympia at no cost to the City. Nine city planning efforts over the last 30 years point to our community's desire for an Arts Center in Olympia.
The working vision of the Armory: Creative Campus is to support the arts as integral to Olympia's way of life; encourage community growth through creativity and innovation; use the arts to connect people, ideas, and place, while operating from an equity framework.
In June 2021, a consulting team was selected to help lead a community visioning process to develop conceptual design ...
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