Mexic-Arte Museum, the official Mexican and Mexican American Fine Art Museum of Texas, is seeking $10 million in bond funds from the city of Austin to build a $30 million iconic structure downtown. The museum has proposed a 54,000 square foot, six story cylindrical shaped building, half of which would be leased as commercial office space to generate income, reported the Austin Business Journal.
"We could build a plain box, but we have the chance to build an iconic structure that will drive tourism and be a landmark for the city," said John Hogg, president of the museum board. Hogg said that the museum has already spent $40,000 on conceptual architectural plans, committing to using Mexican architect Fernando Romero alongside Austin-based architect Juan Cotera as the architect of record.
The museum currently occupies a three-story building on the southeast corner of Congress Avenue and Fifth Street. Established in 1984, Mexic-Arte Museum has already secured $5 million in city money from a 2006 voter-approved bond package according to a Stateman article. The city of Austin also gave $740,000 to Mexic-Arte in 2000 so that it could purchase its building at 419 Congress Ave., which has been altered numerous times since. In 2003, the museum secured $200,000 in federal funds to start a long-term art loan program with Mexico. And last year it netted $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Commerce to finance another building feasibility study.
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