$536,000 in Federal Stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) are funding new construction on 4th Avenue SW between SW 156th and 153rd Streets in Burien, and should be completed by mid-December, according to Project Manager Brian Victor.
The construction is rebuilding the northbound lane of 4th Ave SW between SW 156th and 153rd Streets, adding new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, bike lanes and even street lights similar to the ones in Town Square.
There will be local access for area businesses and residences, but motorists are advised to avoid the construction area if possible.
Here’s the latest update on construction:
Construction is requiring intermittent closure of 4th Ave SW at various times of the day for heavy equipment.
Access to 4th Ave SW between said intersections will be limited to one lane during business hours; limited 2-way access will be provided after 5pm.
At SW 155th Street and 4th Ave SW, access will be restricted for eastbound and westbound; there will be NO WESTBOUND access from SW 155th Street to 4th Avenue SW for the next three to four weeks.
At SW 154th Street and 4th Avenue SW, access will be limited for eastbound and westbound traffic. Westbound access at this intersection will be closed intermittently during the day; limited access will be available in the evenings.
This phase of the project will continue for the next three to four weeks, with a projected completion time of mid-December.
4Culture, the cultural development agency serving King County, recently announced federal stimulus funding awards totaling $250,000 to preserve jobs at 40 arts and cultural organizations throughout the region, including both a $7,500 grant to Burien’s Hi-Liners and $2,500 to the city.
The federal funds will help organizations extend or restore threatened salaried and contract jobs, ranging from executive directors and curators, to marketing managers, to actors and artists.
“The recession has deeply impacted non-profit cultural organizations of all sizes and disciplines,” said Jim Kelly, Executive Director of 4Culture, “However, the applications we reviewed demonstrate that arts managers are resilient, creative, and determined to continue programs in the service of their missions.” 4Culture will distribute the federal funds throughout the County to a diverse range of organizations and communities including:
| Auburn Symphony Orchestra | Auburn | $10,000 |
| City of Auburn Arts Commission | Auburn | $5,000 |
| Bellevue Arts Museum | Bellevue | $10,000 |
| City of Bellevue Parks & Community Services | Bellevue | $3,000 |
| Music Works Northwest | Bellevue | $4,000 |
| Attic Theatre, The | Bothell | $5,000 |
| Northshore Performing Arts Center | Bothell | $5,000 |
| City of Burien | Burien | $2,500 |
| Hi-Liners, The | Burien | $7,500 |
| City of Des Moines Arts Commission | Des Moines | $7,500 |
| Duvall Cultural Commission | Duvall | $6,500 |
| Fall City Arts | Fall City | $5,000 |
| Centerstage Theatre | Federal Way | $7,500 |
| Federal Way Symphony | Federal Way | $6,500 |
| City of Kent | Kent | $6,500 |
| City of Kirkland Cultural Council | Kirkland | $6,500 |
| Kirkland Arts Center | Kirkland | $7,500 |
| Kirkland Performance Center | Kirkland | $5,000 |
| Studio East | Kirkland | $8,500 |
| SecondStory Repertory | Redmond | $7,500 |
| Evergreen City Ballet | Renton | $5,000 |
| Arcade (NW Architectural League) | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences | Seattle | $3,500 |
| Degenerate Art Ensemble | Seattle | $3,000 |
| Early Music Guild | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Giant Magnet (formerly Seattle Int. Children’s Festival) | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Langston Hughes PAC | Seattle | $5,000 |
| Northwest Film Forum | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Seattle International Film Festival | Seattle | $5,000 |
| Seattle Music Partners | Seattle | $5,000 |
| Seattle Public Theatre | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Seattle Scenic Studios | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Suyama Space (Space.City) | Seattle | $3,000 |
| Theatre Puget Sound | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Town Hall | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Washington Lawyers for the Arts | Seattle | $7,500 |
| Choir of the Sound | Shoreline | $5,000 |
| Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council | Shoreline | $6,500 |
| Vashon Allied Arts | Vashon | $7,500 |
| ArtsWest | West Seattle | $7,500 |
Earlier this year, 4Culture applied for and received the maximum award of $250,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to re-grant to King County arts and cultural organizations to support art jobs. The NEA had $50 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to distribute nationwide.
Cumulatively, over $1.2 Million dollars will help preserve jobs at nearly 100 organizations statewide through the NEA appropriations. The Washington State Arts Commission received ARRA funds to distribute state-wide, and over the summer announced awards totaling $285,000 to 24 arts organizations, including six in Seattle. In early September, the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs (SOACA) announced another $250,000 in ARRA funds to 22 Seattle-based arts organizations. SOACA and 4Culture were two of only sixteen local arts agencies nation-wide that received ARRA funds to sub-grant to constituents. The NEA also awarded grants totaling $450,000 directly to 12 Seattle arts organizations.
An arts organization can only receive ARRA-appropriated NEA jobs funding from one source. With all three regional public funding entities receiving ARRA dollars, WSAC, 4Culture and SOACA devised an application process that would ensure that arts organizations wouldn’t have to submit multiple applications if they were eligible to apply to more than one agency. 4Culture was the final agency to undergo a panel process, and received 99 applications from organizations throughout King County. Proposals were evaluated on the significance of the position(s) to the mission and core services of the organization, the potential of the position(s) to have an immediate impact, and the organization’s ability to manage the funds.
According to their website:
4Culture is a unique integration of the arts, heritage, preservation and public art; committed to advancing community through culture. Public exhibitions and performances, public art, preservation of significant sites and interpretation of local history deepen our connections to the places in which we live and work. 4Culture stimulates cultural activity and enhances the assets that distinguish a community as vibrant, unique and authentic.
