ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – While applause and cheering does not typically happen at Orange County Commission meetings, that was not the case on Tuesday.
Shortly after commissioners voted to approve nearly $75 million in tourist tax dollars, representatives of the organizations hoping for the funding broke out into applause.
The Orlando Science Center is just one of several groups who received millions from Tourist Development Tax funding.
Nearly $14 million will go toward upgrading the science center’s iconic rooftop terrace by enclosing it with glass.
“It’s going to serve a dual purpose,” said Orlando Science Center President JoAnn Newman. “It’ll be a premier event space, which helps drive revenue and helps us meet the mission and fulfill the mission here at the Science Center. But on top of that, we will create another iconic permanent exhibit. Our thinking right now is that it will be focused on space science. There’s so many exciting things happening in the space front right now.”
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As an example of what TDT funding can do, the science center’s newest “Life” exhibit was primarily funded by tourist tax dollars. They said without that funding, it would have been more challenging to make the exhibit a reality.
“I feel like it has just really leveled up the game here at the science center,” Newman said. “At that level of funding, it enables us to do amazing projects and amazing work.”
Another recipient of Orange County’s TDT money is the Rollins Museum of Art. The museum received $10 million and will use that money to go toward building a new museum.
“It will be three times as large, so a lot more room to show our incredible collection which counts more than 6,000 works of art of which we can only show a very, very small percentage here,” said Ena Heller, Bruce A. Beal director of the Rollins Museum of Art.
Heller said she’s grateful for the support the county has shown to the local arts community.
“This grant has, as I said, helped us get to the end of our campaign,” Heller said. “And so, it’s a significant help from the government, and it’s really our government showing that they believe in us, that they believe the arts and culture are important to our society and to our community.”
In addition to the Orlando Science Center, the following nine other project received funding:
- The city of Apopka: $13,100,000 to construct and improve softball fields, amphitheater and ancillary facilities.
- The 4R Foundation: $12,000,000 to construct two auditoriums on its 4Roots campus.
- Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation: $2,100,000 to construct, extend, improve and operate auditorium.
- Winter Garden Art Association: $4,000,000 for the Winter Garden Art Museum to construct a new museum adjacent to the current space.
- Orlando Family Stage: $5,825,000 to repair, remodel, improve, maintain, operate, and promote auditorium.
- City of Winter Park/Winter Park Playhouse: $8,000,000 to acquire, enlarge, remodel, and improve auditorium.
- Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art: $2,000,333 to construct, extend, enlarge, improve, operate, and promote museum.
- Orlando Museum of Art: $2,000,333 for the OMA roof and HVAC project.
- P.A.S.T. / Wells’Built Museum Complex Expansion: $2,000,333 to acquire property, and construct and repair museum and auditorium.
The funding is split up and will be awarded over the next four years.
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