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CITY OF HOUSTON - CITY COUNCIL
Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
District D
Item Creation Date: 12/4/2023
HPL_3400-FY24 HPL - Row House Project and Visitors Center
Agenda Item#: 46.
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| | | | | | | | Summary:
ORDINANCE approving and authorizing Contribution Agreement with FREEDMEN’S TOWN CONSERVANCY, INC for the Row Houses Project and Visitors Center - $285,000.00 - General Fund - DISTRICT D - EVANS-SHABAZZ |
| | | | | | | | Background:
The Director of Houston Public Library Department is requesting an ordinance be approved by City of Houston Council members authorizing a contribution agreement with Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, for the Row House Project, and Visitors Center. The City of Houston is providing a one-time start-up cost and operations budget contribution to Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, totaling $285,000 for the Conservancy’s first year’s operations budget which will include staffing, public programs, and marketing/promotions.
The Visitors Center will be one of the premiere hubs for all Conservancy focused events, programming, and tours. This facility, in close partnership with HPL's African American History Research Center at the Gregory School, will work with the various neighborhood coalitions, committees, and house museums. The Visitor’s Center is also a demonstration project, similar to Project Row Houses. This site will demonstrate the economic and cultural value of Adaptive Reuse as an accessible and affordable form of Historic Preservation. By completing this project, it will serve as the template on how to protect, preserve, and restore many other homes. The Visitors Center will offer hyper-flexible and responsive marketing and community engagement as a pseudo satellite office for the TIRZ, HPL, COH, incoming developers, etc. In exchange for the $285,000, Freedmen’s Town Conservancy intends to serve more than 3,000 visitors in the first year, providing as many as 36 tours, monthly events, and multiple educational and public outreach programs each year.
The Conservancy will be utilizing $285,000 for operations budget which will include staffing, public programs and marketing/promotions as follows.
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Annual Operations Budget
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FY24
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1 Full-Time VC Manager
1 Full-Time Program & Engagement Manager
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$145,000.00
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2 Part-Time VC Customer Service Staff
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$55,000.00
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Public Programs
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$60,000.00
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Marketing & Promotions
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$25,000.00
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Total
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$285,000.00
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Fiscal Notes:
Funding for this item is not included in the FY2024 Adopted Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required as stated in the Financial Policies.
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Estimated Fiscal Operating Impact
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Recurring or One-Time
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One-Time
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Fund Name
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FY2024
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Outyear
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Total
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General Fund
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$285,000
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$0
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$285,000
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Total
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$285,000
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$0
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$285,000
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_____________________________________________
Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson
Director of Houston Public Library
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| | | | | | | | Amount and Source of Funding:
$285,000.00
General Fund
FUND 1000 |
| | | | | | | | Contact Information:
Dr. Hope Waobikeze, CFO and Assistant Director 832.393.1348
Rummeka Allen, Council Liaison 832.393.7621
Patrick Atkins, Deputy Assistant Director 832.393.1567
John Middleton, Assistant Director - Library Spaces 832.393.1681
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