COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could get millions of dollars for its renovation under Ohio's new spending proposal.
"Rock and roll isn't a static art form — it's always changing, it's always evolving," Rock Hall President and CEO Greg Harris told me. "The museum dedicated to rock and roll has to keep doing the same."
This money is part of the state's capital budget bill — which includes $700 million in one-time funds for community projects.
Although it had caused controversy back in February, the House passed a version of the budget using $350 million, or half of the total. Senate leadership took offense to this and said they would not be following suit — and they would be using all $700 million.
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However, their newly-released proposal only touches $350 million. The Senate left the House's half alone.
When the House passed its version of the bill, it gave $5 million to the museum, but the Senate just added $2 million more to the proposal.
Harris said this is music to his ears — and the money will go towards the Cleveland-based museum's massive expansion.
"We're adding 50,000 square feet to better serve our visitors, to better serve school groups and to just continue to have a great impact on the state of Ohio," Harris said.
Projects include an indoor performance space, a new entrance and an outdoor area.
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Greg Lawson, with conservative think-tank The Buckeye Institute, doesn’t think the state should be spending its money on the museum.
"When we're using taxpayer dollars, overall, it's something that's going to benefit everybody across the board," Lawson said. "I think that we should really make sure that those private resources are maximizing it, that's really what philanthropy is for."
The Rock Hall is already going through a $150 million dollar renovation on its own, so that $7 million from the state could be going towards other public projects, he said.
"Taking care of core infrastructure needs again, like sewers, like roads, like various things like that, that we absolutely do need to have," he added.
But Harris countered that the Rock Hall is a public good.
"We generate jobs. We bring tourists to Ohio. They shop, they stay in our hotels, they stay in our restaurants, they spend," Harris said. "They leave money behind when they go home."
The bill is currently being heard in the Senate, but lawmakers told me it is likely that the amount of money will not change dramatically.
But it's not over until the governor sings — or rather, signs.
This piece is a part of ongoing coverage of the lawmakers' capital budget process. Additional stories will explain the larger impact of the Senate's version of the spending bill.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
