Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City of Columbus wishes to fund a pilot Community Impact Grant Program (Program) to be administered by the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC). The purpose of the Program is to support long-term, sustainable projects or activities by arts and culture organizations that are intended to affect economic development and growth in five targeted geographic areas, as follows: Franklinton, King- Lincoln, Olde Towne East, Southside, and Weinland Park.
The program will be open to all artistic disciplines seeking to implement a new activity/entrepreneurial endeavor supporting the creation and sale of art. Eligible activities will use art and culture as a catalyst for creating interest in the pilot areas and encouraging people to invest in the delivery and purchase of goods and services from local businesses, galleries and studios.
FISCAL IMPACT: $100,000.00 has been allocated from the Cultural Services portion of the 2013 Hotel/Motel-Cultural Services Fund for this initiative.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a contract with the Greater Columbus Arts Council to support the pilot Community Impact Program; to authorize the appropriation and expenditure of $100,000.00 from the unallocated balance of the Cultural Services portion of the City’s Hotel/Motel Tax Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus recognizes art as a both a cultural and economic development catalyst; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus wishes to fund a pilot economic development program that will spur the creation of new cultural initiatives focused on the creation and sale of art and other art-related activities; and
WHEREAS, the pilot program will start in the following five geographic areas of the city: Franklinton, King-Lincoln, Olde Towne East, Southside, and Weinland Park; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has been financially supporting the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s...
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