Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Directs $2.5 Million to Lancaster for Academy of Music

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Directs $2.5 Million to Lancaster for Academy of Music

State's Investments in Lancaster County Now at $220 Million; Nearly 12,000 New Jobs Created

LANCASTER, Pa., May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today said the commonwealth will invest $2.5 million to help the Pennsylvania Academy of Music expand its state-of-the-art, downtown Lancaster facility so it can teach as many as 600 students.

"We're investing our resources to help communities like Lancaster grow and prosper," Governor Rendell said. "This investment should be music to the ears of Lancaster County residents as it will help the academy pay for a five-fold expansion project.

"A bigger Academy of Music will mean new opportunities for aspiring musicians and their presence will add to the cultural quilt that already exists in Lancaster County."

Presenting a check to city officials, Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky said, "A project like this demonstrates the connection between community development and economic development. With this funding, we are not only providing upgraded infrastructure, but are creating a social incentive for people to come to downtown Lancaster to live, work and play.

"This project goes beyond just renovating a building. The completion of this new music facility will have an educational, cultural and historic impact on one of the great core communities in the state."

The growth in the Pennsylvania Academy of Music's student body created the demand for the new facility. The state's investment will supplement the Academy's "A Major Campaign."

Designed by Philip Johnson and Alan Ritchie Architects (designers of the AT&T headquarters in New York City), the new $21 million complex will stand as a jewel in the Prince Street Arts Corridor, and will include:

-- A 364-seat recital hall with acoustics designed by the famous Cyril
Harris, whose work includes the Kennedy Center and New York's
Metropolitan Opera;
-- Expanded studio space for study, including 13 private studios, a string
institute, a percussion studio and rooms for choral study and
performance;
-- State-of-the-art recording facilities and a new computer lab;
-- A modern and expanded library featuring a reading room, a listening
room for recordings and a children's center;
-- Classrooms for music theory and composition; and
-- Public rooms to accommodate specialized music conferences and
professional conventions, as well as community functions

Founded in 1990, the Pennsylvania Academy of Music has steadily grown into one of Lancaster's premier cultural centers. A major component of the city's "Arts Corridor," the Academy has enriched the community through music programs, educational outreach and performances. Each year, nearly 400 students work with the Academy's staff and faculty as one of only 12 pre- collegiate schools in the country to receive full-accreditation from the National Association of Schools.

RACP is a commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic and historical improvement projects. Since February 2003, Governor Rendell has issued $737 million in RACP grants for 259 projects, 10 in Lancaster County, totaling $36.5 million.

Under Governor Rendell, the state has invested more than $220 million in Lancaster County. These investments have helped to increase the number of jobs in the county by nearly 12,000, lowering the unemployment rate from 4.1 percent to 3.4 percent.

For more information on RACP, visit http://www.newpa.com/ or call 1-866-GONEWPA (1-866-466-3972).

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

CONTACT:
Kate Philips
717-783-1116

Kevin Ortiz (DCED)
717-783-1132

Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

CONTACT: Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,
+1-717-783-1116, or Kevin Ortiz, DCED, +1-717-783-1132

Web site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/
http://www.newpa.com/

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