HomeMy WebLinkAboutPAWC Community Funding Project Request to Murray r RT NGELES 321 East Fifth Street
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WASH I N G T o N , U . S . Port Angeles, WA 98362
IMEW
March 16, 2021
Senator Patty Murray
154 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Murray,
The City Council of Port Angeles urges your favorable consideration of the Port Angeles Waterfront Center's
FY22 Community Funding Project Request recently submitted to your office. The Port Angeles Waterfront
Center's construction of the 41,000 sq. ft. Field Arts & Events Hall represents the largest,privately funded,
community-based, non-profit capital project ever undertaken on the North Olympic Peninsula. Once complete,
this facility will answer a long-term community need for a well-designed, highly operable, state-of-the-art
meeting and performance space available for year-around public use.
Support of the Port Angeles Waterfront Center project has been a priority of this Council and a stated objective
in the City's Comprehensive Plan since 2017. The facility will provide a valuable public service to our
community often provided as a government function in jurisdictions throughout the nation. Specifically it will
implement a conference center component that builds on the City of Port Angeles as a destination. Importantly,
this stands to deliver visitors, spending, and overnight stays to businesses in our community year-round. The
seasonal nature of visitation on the peninsula has long been a challenge for local business models and this
investment delivers a boost of resolution to that challenge.
Completion of Field Arts & Events Hall also stands to spark over $128 million in follow-up capital investment
dedicated to an array of planned projects located throughout the downtown core. Such an investment would
represent the most significant economic revitalization effort ever to occur in our community.
The Port Angeles Waterfront Center has raised nearly 3/4 of the funding it needs to complete Field Arts &
Events Hall within FY22, a remarkable effort for a community of our size. We believe the need is truly
justified, the plan sound, and the appropriation of federal monies to the project as an FY22 Community Funding
Project is undeniably in the public interest. The request has the complete support of the Port Angeles City
Council.
Sincerely,
Kate Dexter(Mar 17,202113:47 PDT)
Kate Dexter
Mayor
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