Kristin Herron, Program Director, kherron@nysca.org
Christine Leahy, Program Officer, cleahy@nysca.org

PLEASE NOTE: To apply to the Facilities Program, you must select CAPITAL PROJECTS as your Program on the Registration Form in the online system.

Arts and cultural organizations that own or lease buildings face myriad challenges in managing those structures. Through Facilities support NYSCA seeks to make strategic investments in supporting those arts and cultural organizations to help them become more physically accessible, stabilize their facility, support their artistic efforts, and be more sustainable for their communities. Strong Facilities projects combine excellence in design with informed decisions which will positively affect the future of arts and cultural organizations across the state.

NYSCA offers three areas of support to assist the arts and cultural community in meeting those challenges: Design and Planning Studies, Capital Projects and Capital Fixtures and Equipment.

Applicants may make one request for Facilities support per year.

All applications in this Program go directly to panel and are not subject to staff review.

Facilities requests are exempt from the Council's two-request limit.

Applicants are encouraged to contact NYSCA staff before the deadline.

Funding Priorities

The Council is more likely to support projects that meet at least one of the following funding priorities:

Projects that improve, expand, or rehabilitate existing buildings to provide access for all.

Projects that address known health and safety deficiencies.

Projects that address issues of building stabilization.

Projects from organizations that further cultural development in rural or minority communities.

Projects that reduce an organization's operating costs.

Projects that demonstrate environmental stewardship and/or sustainable building practices.

NYSCA is unlikely to fund maintenance projects and capital projects that have resulted from deferred maintenance. Examples may include roof repair, servicing of HVAC equipment, and painting.

Facilities support is particularly concerned with ensuring access to cultural events and services for all New Yorkers. Applicants whose facilities are not fully accessible to both audience members and artists with disabilities are urged to learn about and work toward compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Prerequisites

To be eligible to apply for Design and Planning Studies, Capital Projects or Capital Fixtures and Equipment Purchase:

Applicants must have received NYSCA funding for ongoing programs and activities (not sponsored projects or Decentralization grants) for the previous three consecutive years.

The applicant must prove ownership of the facility or leasehold with an unexpired period of at least six years at the time of application. (A renewal option contained in the current lease will be considered, provided such renewal does not require landlord approval).

Organizations must own their facility to apply for any exterior rehabilitation projects, such as roof replacement and façade restoration.

Applicants must have completed any previously supported facilities projects before registering for a new project.

No applicant may receive funding for more than three years in any five year period.

These organizations are not eligible.

Religious institutions or arts organizations requesting funds for a facility they share with or lease from a religious institution.

Public school districts, public universities, or state agencies, or arts organizations leasing their facility from such an entity.

Organizations approved for capital funding by other New York State programs or agencies for the same project are not eligible to apply. Examples include Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund, and Legislative "member items" through the Natural Heritage Trust.

Evaluative Criteria

Requests are evaluated in accordance with agency-wide criteria.

Additional Legislative Requirements

Projects of $1 million or greater must be referred to the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York for technical review and recommendations. This review typically takes 30 days. If the Dormitory Authority determines that a project is technically flawed, it may recommend to the Council that funding be denied. In such an event, it is highly unlikely that the project would be funded by the Council.

Awards to projects in facilities listed in the State or National Register of Historic Places must be reviewed and approved by the state's Office of Historic Preservation before funds are released.