Summary

Tateuchi Center, Kirkland Arts, KidsQuest and Bellevue Youth Theater will get economic boost from program

Story

The Tateuchi Center, the proposed performing art center in downtown Bellevue, along with an award winning hands-on children's museum are some of the projects that will receive funding to help maintain their buildings and preserve the arts and heritage programs that are held inside.

“Our commitment to sound financial policies has resulted in a surplus by paying off the Kingdome debt early,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague. “County-Wide, and on the Eastside, this partnership with 4Culture is supporting significant investment in local arts, cultural and historic preservation projects such as the Bellevue Youth Theater, KidsQuest Museum, Kirkland Arts Center and Performance Arts Center Eastside, among others.”

The funding for maintenance, repairs, and preservation were allocated from the Building For Culture Program and unanimously approved by the County Council. Building for Culture is a partnership between King County and 4Culture, King County’s cultural services agency, using bonds backed by the hotel-motel tax to build, maintain, expand, preserve, and improve new and existing cultural facilities.

After the Council approved the creation of the Building for Culture Program, 4Culture put out a request for proposals to nonprofit arts, heritage and cultural organizations and eligible public agencies, as well as owners of national-, state-, or local-designated or eligible landmark properties. 4Culture then convened independent peer panels composed of arts, heritage, and preservation professionals, and other community representatives to review applications and make the final selections.

Click here to see the facilities receiving funding in District 6.

The bonds supporting these projects are made possible by early retirement of the Kingdome debt. State law requires that hotel-motel tax revenues King County collects this year after repayment of the Kingdome debt be directed to arts and cultural programs.