Donations Fund Enhancement Of New Tampa Art Museum

When city officials broke ground on the Tampa Museum of Art project in April, missing from the blueprints was a laundry list of amenities they couldn't afford.

But many of those items are coming back to the scaled-down project, thanks to millions of dollars in private sector donations raised by the museum in the past several months.

"They have a very well-oiled fundraising machine," public works administrator Steve Daignault said. "We would not be able to afford many of these things without private dollars."

He said the project is well under budget and on schedule for completion in fall 2009.

All told, the city provided about $30 million for the project, which includes a redesign of Curtis Hixon Park and Kiley Gardens. More than $18 million in Community Investment Tax dollars went to the museum project; the remaining $12 million went to the parks.

The museum raised about $8 million in private donations at the outset, and the money keeps rolling in from foundations and individuals.

"The fact that money is being donated in these tough economic times speaks to peoples' willingness to invest in their community," said museum director Todd D. Smith.

On Thursday, the museum pledged $275,000 in private donations to pay for fixtures for decorative LED lighting on the exterior of the new building.

In October, the museum provided $1.32 million in private donations that will pay for adding decorative metal to the museum lobby and soffits on the exterior.

City officials, too, have been soliciting private-sector money.

In September, the F.E. Lykes Foundation donated $1 million for a giant fountain at the gateway to Curtis Hixon Park as well as two smaller ones along the riverfront.

Still, the bulk of amenities on the city's wish list remain unfunded, including:

• Pavilion with bathrooms in Curtis Hixon. Estimated cost: $1 million.

• Information center in Curtis Hixon. Estimated cost: $700,000.

• Kiosk with bathrooms in Curtis Hixon. Estimated cost: $500,000

• Decorative LED lights for museum exterior. Estimated cost: $500,000.

• And a dog park in Curtis Hixon. Estimated cost: $250,000.

The total project cost, including architectural fees, furniture, fixtures, equipment and other expenses, is $32.8 million, according to the city.