242-1999 LTC
(~ITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\ci.miami-beach.f1.us
242-1999
L.T.C. No.
LETTER TO COMMISSION
December 15, 1999
TO:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
Sergio Rodriguez ;f~
City Manager ?f1
FROM:
SUBJECT:
The Florida Arts Council review of the Colony Theater's
Florida Department of State Cultural Facilities grant application
In its efforts to secure funding for the renovation of the Colony Theater, the City Commission
authorized the Administration to submit two grant applications to the Florida Department of State.
As described in L.T.C. 211-1999, the first application to the Division of Historical Resources did
not meet eligibility requirements and was not placed on the priority funding list.
The second application, a request for $500,000 to the Division of Cultural Affairs for Cultural
Facilities funding was publicly reviewed on November 2, 1999 in Jacksonville by the Florida Arts
Council. Thomas Mooney, Senior Planner, and Stacy Kilroy, Grants Writer, represented the City
at this review. Also present were the Colony Theater's Technical Director, Eric Fliss, and Laurie
Thomas, a representative of the Florida Department of Management Services. Although the previous
application to Historical Resources did not meet eligibility, the Cultural Affairs grant application did
meet all requirements and was placed on the Cultural Facilities priority funding list.
The Florida Arts Council is a fifteen member volunteer panel appointed for a single four-year term
by the Secretary of State. When ranking Cultural Facilities grants, decisions are based on whether
the applicant has conducted a feasibility study, has assembled a project team including an architect,
has schematics representing the work to be completed and has passed a historical design review
required by the Division of Historical Resources. The Florida Legislature ultimately determines
which projects are funded based upon the amount that is allocated to the Department of State for the
Cultural Facilities program.
In FY 98-99, the Department of State received 32 applications for Cultural Facilities funding, 30
were deemed eligible and all 30 were put on the priority list. All 30 applications were also funded
at a total of $12 million. In this FY 99-00, 52 applications were received, 50 were eligible and 49
Florida Arts Council/Colony Theater
December 15, 1999
Page 2
were put on the priority funding list. The applications total $18 million.
It is believed by the City's representatives in Tallahassee that the State Legislature will not increase
the Cultural Facilities budget from $12 million to $18 million. However, Don Blancett, Cultural
Facilities grants administrator, believes it is probable that the entire priority list could be funded.
His suggestion to the City was to wait for the finalization of the FY 00-01 Department of State
budget and if the Colony project was not funded at that point, then proceed to submit a new
application for FY 00-01, incorporating the comments received during this year's application
process.
The Administration would like to thank Don Blancett for his continued assistance with this project
and also Miami-Dade Florida Council members Rhoda Levitt and Alejandro Aguirre who rigorously
supported the Colony Theater application during the Cultural Facilities review and who have since
offered more valuable advice. Also instrumental at the review was the Colony's Technical Director
Eric Fliss. His professional experience was publicly applauded by the Florida Arts Council.
The Administration recommends a revision of the Colony Theater Renovation Grant Proposal after
the architecture and engineering team has been selected and schematics are finished for this project.
If the Cultural Facilities application does not receive funding this year, the revised proposal can then
be submitted in August for future Cultural Facilities funding.
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