Niagara County allocates grants from Cultural Endowment Fund

Submitted by the Public Information Office

Legislator Rich Andres, chairman of the economic development committee, announced the Niagara County Legislature has allocated $300,000 in grants from the Cultural Endowment Fund to 10 organizations across Niagara County. The fund was created in the 2024 budget from Niagara County’s share of revenue generated by Western Region Off-Track Betting (WROTB), which operates Batavia Downs Racetrack and Casino, as well as multiple off-track betting locations.

“We worked in conjunction with the Arts and Culture Coalition of Niagara County to devise a plan that would invest in some of a major institutions that help draw people to our community,” Andres said. “Our expectation is that this will be a worthwhile investment, as culturals are proven to drive economic activity and enhance a community’s quality of life.

The organizations receiving grants are:

√ Artpark & Company, $112,662

√ Niagara Aquarium Foundation (Aquarium of Niagara), $69,147

√ Old Fort Niagara, $24,939

√ Kenan Center, $20,439

√ Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University, $13,447

√ Niagara Arts & Cultural Center, $8,497

√ Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Commission, $6,015

√ Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier (Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum), $4,850

√ The Riviera Theatre, $20,000

√ Historic Palace Theatre, $20,000

“The legislature is committed to making strategic investments in programs that promote growth, and we try to do so without using tax dollars, but rather other sources, like the WROTB funds in this case,” Andres said. “We will require reporting on the use and impact of monies allocated through the Cultural Endowment Fund, which will help determine whether the program should be continued, or even expanded, in future years.”