STATE GRANT TO AID MOORE COLLEGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

            PHILADELPHIA, November 8, 2006 – Moore College of Art and Design will receive nearly $3 million in state funding for capital improvements to increase accessibility and improve energy efficiency, state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia) announced today.

            The project will result in 34 permanent new jobs and a larger student enrollment at the school, located along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.

            Fumo worked with Governor Ed Rendell to secure the $2.925 million grant from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project fund.

            “We are fortunate to have such a fine cultural education institution as Moore College within the city,” Fumo said. “The capital improvements that the school will be able to complete with this money will enhance Philadelphia’s arts community and will also help our economy by creating dozens of good new jobs.”

            “We are grateful to the Commonwealth for its continuing commitment to expanding access to all who benefit from Moore’s unique educational and cultural opportunities on the Parkway,” said President Happy Fernandez. “The Commonwealth’s support will enable Moore to contribute even more to the region’s ‘creative economy’ and enrich the more than 7,000 people of all ages each year who take advantage of our educational and cultural events and visit our galleries, which are free and open to the public.”

            Moore, founded in 1848, is the only women’s arts and design college in the nation. With about 500 students, it offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 10 academic programs.  It also offers programs in creative expression and hand-on artistic experiences each year to more than 1,500 boys and girls from in grades 1-12. Scholarships from Moore go to an economically, racially and socially diverse group of 300 students from Philadelphia neighborhoods.

"The investment we're making today will help create exciting new opportunities in southeastern Pennsylvania," said Governor Rendell.  "By targeting our resources in this 155-year-old college, we're opening up the door so more women can pursue careers in art and design fields. What's more, this project means more jobs at the college and increased economic activity for the region."

The capital improvement funds will be used to enhance the overall experience and improve the delivery of services to all who benefit from Moore's educational and cultural programs.  Among the projects will be Increasing accessibility by relocating offices in Louise Zimmerman Stahl Hall from the second to the first floor, making them accessible to people with disabilities.  The school will also implement vital energy-saving and environmental updates by replacing the windows in Sarah Peter Hall and updating antiquated heating and air conditioning systems.

Wages from the new jobs enabled by the capital improvements will be more than $900,000 annually, with resulting state and local tax revenue of more than $86,000. Twenty-five of the new employees will hold creative or knowledge-class jobs while the other nine will be service employees. The projects will help to allow Moore to educate about 120 more students each year beginning in 2009.

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