Friday, February 04, 2000
Freedom Center funds iffy
Priority status sought from city
BY DAN KLEPAL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Tens of millions of dollars have been secured for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, but the $90 million museum's future is far from secure.
That's according to letters sent by some of the Freedom Center's board members to local political leaders during the past week.
The letters say the city must declare the Freedom Center a priority project for it to receive $15 million in state money over the next two capital budget cycles.
John E. Pepper, retired Procter & Gamble chairman and chief executive who is chairman of the Freedom Center's board of directors, wrote that the state money is critical.
He recently met with Gov. Bob Taft; Senate President Dick Finan, R-Evendale; and House Speaker JoAnn Davidson, R-Reynoldsburg, all of whom said the Freedom Cen ter needs to be listed as a priority project or it may be out of luck because of competing interests along the riverfront.
A “fact sheet” attached to Mr. Pepper's letter says the museum is in the midst of a national capital campaign that has raised $34 million.
Design and development of the building and site will be finished soon, and the process to complete construction drawings will begin. Officials hope construction begins in August 2001 and the museum opens in 2003.
“However, these efforts will be lost if the Freedom Center's request of $15 million from the state of Ohio is not appropriated,” the letter states.
Ed Riguald, president and chief executive officer of the museum, said he thinks the Freedom Center needs to be among the city's top three priorities to land the money — with Paul Brown Stadium and the Reds Ballpark considered as one.
That leaves a new Contemporary Arts Center, convention center expansion, a riverfront park and other riverfront development to compete against.
“We would have to go back to the drawing board, in terms of timing and the scope of this project, if we do not secure at least that level of (state) support,” Mr. Riguald said.
Mr. Finan said that budget likely will be passed quickly after the legislature resumes March 15.
“Our No. 1 priority is funding the stadiums,” Mr. Finan said. “After that, it becomes a question of how much is left. I don't know what the bottom line is for available funds for Hamilton County, but it will become a question of where things are priority-wise.
“I like to say the capital budget is the process of allocating disappointment.”
Mr. Finan added that the Contemporary Arts Center will almost certainly be included in the next capital budget.
“We've already funded them at $3.5 million, so it wouldn't make any sense not to finish the job,” he said.
Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken said he doesn't think the people involved with the Freedom Center will be disappointed. Mr. Luken said he thinks the museum will receive $7.5 million over the next two capital budgets.
“I responded to Mr. Pepper's let ter that it was my understanding that the Freedom Center would get that,” Mr. Luken said. “The struggle occurs because of the stadiums.”
No listing of priority projects has been sent to Columbus yet, although Mr. Finan said his office has been receiving phone calls from various groups wanting funding.
Todd Ward, Gov. Taft's local economic development representative, said Cincinnati may be staring at a lost opportunity if it doesn't set its own priorities.
“It will be left up to the General Assembly to make the decisions, and that means you've lost an opportunity to provide them with one cohesive message and one singular strategy,” Mr. Ward said. In an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer last month, Mr. Taft said stadiums will consume the lion's share of capital money flowing into the county.
State leaders have pledged $81 million to help the county build new homes for the Bengals and Reds. So far, $37 million of that has been paid.
“We've made a commitment there,” the governor said. “I think it's maybe hard for the new applicants to understand and accept that, but that's reality.”
Michael Hawthorne contributed to this report.
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