A proposed operational plan calls for city sales tax revenue, hotel-motel taxes and grants pay for the development of a multimillion-dollar cultural arts center, according to documents released Wednesday. Consultant Petra Reyna asked city officials to review the draft of a report expected to become a blueprint for the development and operation of the center that would house the city’s three museums — the San Benito History Museum, the Freddy Fender Museum and the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame and Museum — as well as the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center.
“It’s incredibly important because we’ve got to secure funding,” said City Commissioner Bill Elliott, president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation. “This is a working paper. It’s well-done but it’s not complete. We’re tweaking it.”
The proposed plan recommends funding from state and federal grants, corporate sponsorships, donations, fund raising, city sales tax revenue and hotel-motel taxes.
Amid an economic slowdown that’s driven city sales tax revenue to its lowest level in about five years, Elliott described the proposed funding sources as “options,” noting that the museums receive hotel-motel tax revenue. The city funded the $9,000 report with money from the EDC and a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, said Alma Puente Colleli, the EDC’s executive director.
“The mission of the San Benito Cultural Heritage and Museums Project is to create a sustainable attraction for culture, education, entertainment and economic development that will enhance the quality of life for residents in San Benito and the surrounding area through building upon its existing resources and identifying new physical, financial and human resources,” according to the proposed the mission statement.
The center would “promote and preserve the cultural heritage and history of the city of San Benito and the Rio Grande Valley, create and contribute to the economic and tourism growth in the city of San Benito and enhance the quality of life for its citizens through economic and educational endeavors,” the document states. The proposal calls for a building that would range from 11,500 to 18,400 square feet, and staff that includes a director who would be paid $45,000 and an administrative assistant who would be paid $20,000.
Admission fees and membership dues would help fund operations along with fees from concerts, festivals and other events, the draft document states. The project would require that the three museums and the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center work together, Reyna said.
“A major theme of this operational plan is built on the premise of one united museum system,” the document states. “Instead of one organization attempting to secure resources, all four will work together under the umbrella of the (center), which make them a stronger and attractive force.” Local leaders have selected a 2-acre site on which stands the city’s Community Building that houses the museums as the location of the proposed center.
Consultants last year proposed a $12 million project to build a 15,300-square-foot cultural arts center to house the city’s museums and a visitors center as part of a plan to draw tourism.
Article taken from Valley Morning Star on December 21, 2010
