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HomeMy Public PortalAboutMosesian Arts Mainstage Accessibility Improvements - MCACity of Watertown, MA  ARPA Project Proposal Submitted by: Jeannette Belcher-Schepis Submitted on: May 31, 2023 Request Number: ARPA-30 Project Name: Mosesian Arts Mainstage Accessibility Improvements Proposal Type: Organization The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts Recommended Project Manager: Darren Farrington Project Summary: Mosesian Arts aims to complete additional facility improvements recommended in a Universal Participation study conducted in 2019 through Mass Cultural Council. With proposed facility improvements, MCA will continue to serve the Watertown community by addressing several accessibility and safety upgrades in our Main Stage Theater. Amount of ARPA Funds Requested: $200,000 Minimum Funds Needed: $175,000 Matching funds available? No Other funds available? Yes Economic Injury Disaster Loan 100,000 Highly Likely Project Narrative: I have a detailed narrative to upload Proposal for ARPA Funding - City of Watertown, Massachusetts 1. Applicant: The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts 2. Contact: Jeannette Belcher-Schepis, MCA Director of Development 3. Email: jeannette@mosesianarts.org 4. Phone: 617-923-0100 x 8300 5. Project Name: Mosesian Arts Mainstage Accessibility Improvements 6. Funds Requested: $200,000 7. Matching Funds Available: N/A 8. Other Sources of Funds: In 2020, MCA received a $100,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration, which has been reserved to date in order for MCA to remain free of debt. The proposed facility improvements are crucial for MCA to continue to serve our mission, and to maintain ADA compliance moving forward. If necessary, MCA could tap into use of EIDL funds to help leverage project funding, but cannot fully fund the proposed project. 9. Minimum Funds to execute the project: $175,000.Please Please see project details below. 10. Project Manager(s): Darren Farrington, MCA’s Executive Director, will provide administrative oversight of the project and Sean Dooley, MCA’s Director of Facilities and Theater Operations, will provide day-to-day managerial oversight of contractors and subcontractors related to the proposed project. 11. Narrative description of the project. For nearly two decades, the Mosesian Center for the Arts has been a vital resource for the Watertown community and has been poised as a leader in promoting Watertown as a destination for arts and culture. Prior to the pandemic, MCA served more than 120,000 visitors annually and was positioned as a regional hub for the arts, presenting the whole community with diverse arts offerings including performances, educational programming, and art exhibition galleries, which are free and open to the public. In addition to providing and hosting many free community events annually, MCA also offers reduced and subsidized pricing on event tickets, classes, and workshops as an active participant with Mass Cultural Council’s Card-to-Culture program, Tuition Assistance funds, and programs such as “Aging Creatively,” which provides free and low-cost arts engagement opportunities to Watertown’s older adult (55+) residents. As an organization committed to the inclusion of the entire community, the proposed renovations are vital in allowing MCA to continue to welcome and fully support the enjoyment of theater for all mobility and hearing-limited community members. MCA provides economic benefits to all Watertown residents by encouraging visitors from throughout the region and boosting revenue to other local businesses. Mosesian Arts aims to complete additional facility improvements recommended in a Universal Participation study conducted in 2019 through Mass Cultural Council. With proposed facility improvements, MCA will continue to serve the Watertown community by addressing several accessibility and safety upgrades in our Main Stage Theater. Proposed improvements include replacement of MCA’s Mainstage hearing loop coil, removal/replacement of carpeting throughout main stage areas, installation of front row accessible seating and handrails, and updates to aisle lighting and controls. Mainstage seating upgrades for 339 chairs are also needed due to wear and tear since their original installation in 2005. The copper coil hearing loop, which was installed nearly a decade ago, currently needs replacement but the operating system is fully operational and can be used for several more years. Additionally, carpeting throughout MCA’s Main Stage Theater, which is glued down over the copper loop, has become worn over time, presenting a potential tripping/safety hazard. The front row, three (3) middle/ center seats are not currently accessible and require replacement with removable seats for wheelchair/accessible seating when needed, as well as the installation of a surrounding hand railing for safety provisions. Seating upgrades for 339 seats in the Main Stage Theater are overdue after nearly two decades of patron use, and upgrades are also timely since seats will require removal at the time of carpeting upgrades. Aisle lighting upgrades and controls are also timely while accessibility improvements to mainstage carpeting and seating are executed, but could be delayed if total funding request is not met. Proposed Facility Improvements are crucial to maintain ADA compliance and will be beneficial for all visitors to MCA’s Mainstage Theater. If funded, the MCA’s Main Stage Theater Accessibility Project will be completed by December 31, 2024 with full expenditure by December 31, 2025. We are grateful for the funding opportunity for accessibility improvements to Mosesian Center for the Arts Main Stage Theater through Watertown’s ARPA funding. Thank you!