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Downtown Art Museum

CIP 834-867-0600

Summary

The museum could become a catalyst for downtown development as well as a spark for tourism and other economic activity. The proposed site for the museum is on donated land on the south side of West Third Street, between Guadalupe and San Antonio Streets.

Status

On June 6 the Austin City Council approved a contract with the Austin Museum of Art, Inc., to develop, manage and operate a long-awaited downtown art museum.

The Council also approved a contract not to exceed $300,000 with Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc., of Philadelphia to update the design of the museum to account for changes in code requirements, location and costs since the original design by acclaimed architect Robert Venturi was obtained by the City in 1989. Additionally, the contract calls for Venturi to develop a series of design options with a range of associated construction costs.

Issues

Austin Museum of Art is responsible for raising the estimated $2 million to $10 million in additional funds needed to build the museum. The organization also is responsible for securing an endowment for operating costs before construction of the project. The organization also is responsible for all operating costs once the museum is built. Operation costs could range from $600,000 to $1.4 million a year. If the Austin Museum of Art secures funding to close the current shortfall to build and operate the museum, construction could begin on the facility by January 2001.

The City's share for the project will be $6.4 million in bonds that have been issued for the project, plus another $5.4 million in bonds the City is anticipated to issue once the Austin Museum of Art has made significant progress on the project, including closing the shortfall. Future Council action would be required to issue these bonds. Austin voters approved the bonds in 1985 to build a downtown museum.

Description

In 1985, voters approved $14.7 million in bonds for a publicly owned museum downtown. Approximately $3 million has been spent to date. Conflicts between local arts groups about funding and minority participation in the museum, rising construction costs and questions about who would be responsible for operating costs forced the Council in 1989 to withdraw the City from the project. But the project was revived last year when the Austin Museum of Art donated the land on Third Street to the City for the project.

This partnership between the City and Austin Museum of Art is not unique. There are examples throughout the country of successful private-public partnerships in the building of museums. Recent projects in Dallas and San Francisco, for example, were funded 100 percent by private contributions. Public projects for museums in Seattle, Cleveland and Norfolk, Va., also were substantially matched with private contributions.

Basic Data

  • Project Contact: Jesus Olivares, Parks and Recreation Department Director, 499-6717
  • Bond Authorization: $14,710,000
  • Estimated Annual Operating Cost: $600,000 - $1,400,000

    Revised June 6, 1996

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