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BOSTON – Today MassDevelopment and Mass Cultural Council,
two state agencies that jointly administer the Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF),
announce twenty-eight (28) newly approved CFF grants investing a total of
$3,139,000 into cultural facilities and projects throughout the
Commonwealth.
The CFF provides
capital and planning grants to nonprofit organizations, colleges, and
municipalities that own or operate facilities primarily focused on the
arts, humanities, and sciences. CFF awards invest in the acquisition,
design, repair, renovation, expansion, and construction of nonprofit and
municipal cultural facilities. All CFF awards are subject to a 1:1 matching
requirement.
The Cultural
Facilities Fund is funded annually through the Governor’s Capital Spending Plan.
In FY24 the Healey-Driscoll Administration invested
$10 million into the CFF, which supports this grant round and the awards
announced today.
"Through the
Cultural Facilities Fund, our Administration is proud to support the
facilities that are the foundation for Massachusetts' thriving arts and culture
sector,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We're grateful for the
partnership of MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council, and we thank
the awardees for their efforts to maintain and restore the spaces that mean
so much to our state."
“Investing in museums,
theaters, and other cultural facilities across Massachusetts strengthens
our community assets, boosts the tourism economy, and creates jobs,” said
MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “We are pleased to
partner with Mass Cultural Council in administering this important grant
program and thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration and legislature for
their continued support.
“The CFF is a
special program – it serves as the Commonwealth’s main public investment to
help maintain cultural facilities, thereby supporting the efforts of
nonprofit organizations and municipalities to keep these important spaces
in a state of good repair,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive
Director, Mass Cultural Council. “I’m so pleased to congratulate
today’s grantees and encourage eligible entities to consider applying for
assistance from the FY24 grant cycle.”
Celebrating 28 New Investments into Massachusetts
Cultural Facilities
Twenty-seven (27)
capital grants, totaling $3,104,000, and one $35,000 feasibility and technical
assistance grant were approved by a vote of the MassDevelopment Board of
Directors today, including:
· The Town
of Sandwich received a $200,000 capital grant to support exterior
repairs, historic window replacements, and to expand gallery, program, and
office space in the future home of the Sandwich Arts Alliance at Town Hall.
· Berkshire
Theatre Group, Inc., located in
Pittsfield, received a $153,000 capital grant to help with the installation
of solar panels on the Colonial Theatre and warehouse roof.
· Armenian
Museum of America, Inc. in Watertown
received a $146,000 capital grant to support a roof replacement project.
· The Hassanamisco
Nipmuc Band, of Grafton, received a $137,000 capital grant to support
the interior restoration of the Hassanamisco/Cisco Homestead and Museum, to
resume use as a public museum educating visitors about the culture and
history of the Nipmuc people and other southern New England tribes.
· The Cabot
Performing Arts Center, Inc., located in Beverly, received a
$104,000 capital grant to help with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
compliant renovations to the stage area.
A full list of projects
approved today, with project descriptions, is available online.
FY24 CFF Application Now Open
Today the agencies
also announced the launch of the FY24 CFF application period. Nonprofits,
municipalities, and colleges with cultural facilities seeking capital or
planning assistance are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is
December 14, 2023. Awards are expected to be announced in May 2024.
There are three
types of awards available through the Cultural Facilities Fund:
1.
Capital Grants,
which support the acquisition, design, construction, repair, renovation,
rehabilitation or other capital improvements or deferred maintenance of a
cultural facility.
2.
Feasibility & Technical
Assistance Grants, for costs and expenses related to overall
planning and feasibility for a proposed eligible project.
3.
Systems Replacement Plan Grants
(SRP), A 20-year capital needs assessment conducted by a
preselected contractor hired by the Cultural Facilities Fund to assess the
facility’s structure and its mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and
life-safety systems. A green energy planning analysis is also available.
Applicants seeking more information about the program are encouraged to
review the FY24 program guidelines,
register for a virtual information session on
October 18, 2023; or sign up to attend online office hours with CFF
program staff.
About the Cultural
Facilities Fund
The CFF was created by an act of the Legislature in 2006 to achieve the
following goals:
· Enhance
Massachusetts’ creative economy through financing for acquisition,
construction, expansion, renovation, and repair of cultural facilities.
· Increase
employment, entrepreneurialism, and tourism in the regions where these
facilities are located, especially drawing new visitors from outside the
Commonwealth.
· Stimulate
further investment in the arts, heritage, and sciences by preserving
cultural resources.
From 2007 through today, the CFF has awarded $165,152,646 to 1,427 projects
across the Commonwealth, employing more than 35,444 architects, engineers,
contractors, and construction workers. The organizations engaged in this
work expect to add 2,992 new permanent jobs after completing their
projects.
The CFF’s impact extends
beyond the nonprofit cultural sector in ways that benefit Massachusetts’
broader economy. The organizations awarded grants generate millions in
annual economic activity through direct spending on everything from
supplies to energy and advertising and are popular tourist destinations.
The CFF has also spurred private investment, leveraging about $2.7 billion
in spending from the funded projects. Finally, CFF grants contribute to
cultural preservation by helping to restore and expand many of our nation’s
most treasured historical landmarks.
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