The Impact of Cultural Facilities
Why It's Important for the State to Invest in Community Cultural Projects
Ohio is fortunate to be home to many world-class cultural facilities. Public investment in such community projects is important because they help to bolster community development.
Cultural facilities provide economic stimulus by:
The Arts
A December 2001 editorial by the Cincinnati Post declared that the visual arts are "big contributors to the regional economy and its quality of life."
Results of a survey by U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis provide the numbers that support this statement. The study found that $10 billion was spent on the arts by U.S. consumers in 1997. That is 1.6 times more than was spent on movies and sporting events. Another study by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture showed that the annual economic impact of the arts in Cleveland alone is $1.3 billion.
Professional Sports
The Governor's Sports Facilities Task Force, which presented a report to the Governor and General Assembly in 1995, found that long-term, targeted economic benefits stem from sports facilities. This is a result of new economic activity that occurs in close proximity to facilities that are part of a well-conceived economic development plan.
According to the report, research shows that sports facilities located in central, downtown sites near existing businesses and other attractions generate the most economic impact. Less tangible benefits, the Task Force concluded, come from the entertainment and recreational value of professional sports and the media attention associated with sports teams and events.
The Commission's Projects
Click the appropriate link below to view details of the projects assigned to the Commission:
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, 20 East Broad St., Suite 200
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3416, tel: (614) 752-2770, fax: (614) 752-2775