29 Heritage Projects Need Your Help in Getting Critical Funding

Last July, the Washington State Historical Society Advisory Board recommended 29 grant requests for full funding in the 2011 – 2013 biennium through the Heritage Capital Projects Fund. State law allows up to $10 million of state bond money to be appropriated for capital projects through the Fund each biennium. Funding for these projects has been appropriated without fail since 1997. This year, however the Governor’s proposed budget has eliminated the Heritage Capital Projects Fund.

YOUR support is needed to help restore funding to worthy projects across the state.

The 29 projects (including Historic Seattle’s Washington Hall) that were recommended for funding in the 2011 – 2013 biennium are a sure-fire way to promote economic development at the community level. The $10 million investment will:

  • Catalyze local investment to complete projects valued at many times the state investment. (Each dollar invested by the state is matched 2:1 by the projects)
  • Create project related jobs
  • Generate sales tax revenue for the state

Collectively these 29 organizations provide educational opportunities and community space to several million visitors annually. The projects were selected through a rigorous state-wide competitive peer vetting process.  Find out more about this issue in a recent article in Crosscut, an online news journal.  Historic Seattle is collaborating with the other 28 projects on an advocacy strategy to get this funding back into the state’s budget and will be heading to Olympia regularly to meet with legislators and will keep you updated on our progress. We need your help to ensure our project receives the funding to move forward.

CALL TO ACTION – How You Can Help

Take five minutes to email or call your legislators encouraging them to fund the Heritage Capital Projects Fund. Go to the Washington State Legislature’s website to find your district using your home address.  Include the key messages below, but please personalize your email – otherwise it won’t stand out and will get lost in the hundreds of emails legislators receive weekly.

KEY MESSAGES WHEN WRITING TO YOUR LEGISLATORS

  • I am writing to ask you to restore funding to the Heritage Capital Projects Fund.
  • The 29 projects that were recommended for Heritage Capital Projects funding in the 2011 – 2013 biennium will promote economic development at the community level. The $10 million investment will:

-Catalyze local investment, matching $2 private dollars for each state dollar contributed to the project
-Create jobs in my community
-Generate sales tax revenue for the state

  • Explain why the project is important for your community

Thank you for helping projects from across the state receives critical funding to complete heritage capital projects!

Here’s the list of the 29 capital projects:

1) Schooner Martha (2) Duwamish Riverbend  (3) Port of Chinook Auditorium (4) Bellingham Museum (5) La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum (6) Vancouver Historic Reserve (7) Blue Mountain Heritage Society historic school (8) Tacoma’s Fort Nisqually granary (9) Si View Community Center (10) Port Townsend Carnegie library (11) San Juan County Parks Brann cabin (12) Seattle’s Moore Theatre (13) Jefferson County Courthouse (14) Schooner Adventuress (15) Museum of History and Industry (16) King Street Station (17) Washington Hall (18) Wilkeson Town Hall (19) Lady Washington (20) Maryhill Museum (21) Clymer Museum of Art (22) Phinney Neighborhood Association (23) Foss Waterway Seaport (24) Polson Museum (25) Broadway Center for Performing Arts (26) Northwest Railway Museum (27) The Center for Wooden Boats (28) Seattle Art Museum (29) Des Moines Covenant Beach