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Downtown Art Museum

CIP 834-867-0600

Summary

This project is the design and construction of an Art Museum in the downtown area. The current program requires a museum of 85,000-100,000 SF. Major spaces in the facility include an auditorium, galleries, classrooms, storage areas for art, workshops for exhibits, construction, shipping and receiving, museum store, restaurant, public lobby and staff offices.

Status

On June 6, 1996 the Austin City Council approved a contract with the Austin Museum of Art, Inc., to develop, manage and operate a long-awaited downtown art museum.

In April, 1998 the Austin Museum of Art Architect selection committee issued a RFQ for professional design services. In July, the selection committee interviewed three firms. On August 27, the museum board of directors approved the selection committee's recommendation of Richard Gluckman. AMOA completed contract negotiations with the architectural consultant and is proceeding with programming. AMOA is gathering survey, geotechnical and environmental information.

Description

In 1985, voters approved $14.7 million in bonds for a publicly owned museum downtown. Conflicts between local arts groups about funding and minority participation in the museum, rising construction costs and questions about who would be responsible for operating costs forced the Council in 1989 to withdraw the City from the project. The project was revived when the Austin Museum of Art donated the land on Third Street to the City for the project.

This partnership between the City and Austin Museum of Art is not unique. There are examples throughout the country of successful private-public partnerships in the building of museums. Recent projects in Dallas and San Francisco, for example, were funded 100 percent by private contributions. Public projects for museums in Seattle, Cleveland and Norfolk, Va., also were substantially matched with private contributions.

Basic Data

  • Project Manager: Nick Naccarato, Department of Public Works and Transportation, 499-6747
  • Designer: Gluckman Mayner Architects
  • Appropriation Amount: $9,315,000
  • Preliminary Phase: June, 1999 - September, 1999
  • Design Phase: September, 1999 - March, 2001
  • Bid/Award Phase: March, 2001 - May, 2001
  • Construction Phase: May, 2001 - January 2003
  • Post-Construction Phase: January, 2003 - January, 2004

    Revised July 21, 1999
    Back to the July 1999 Contents

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