May 22, 2007 9:11 am US/Eastern
Carnival Center To Ask County For $4 Million
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DOWNTOWN MIAMI (CBS4) ―
It ran over budget by several hundred million dollars when it was built and is now running over budget because of lackluster attendance, so the Carnival Performing Arts Center in Downtown Miami is asking for an infusion of $4 million from Miami-Dade County Commissioners on Tuesday.
If the request is approved, the money would come from the county's hotel bed taxes, which is charged to tourists staying at Miami's hotels.
It would also bring the county's contribution total to the Carnival Center operations to $7.8 million for the year, which is more than double what the county budgeted.
If the request is denied, the center will have to rely on private donations and money from advance ticket sales to stay open through July, said Carnival Center CEO Michael Hardy to our news partners at The Miami Herald.
The center has already been tapping into advanced ticket sales to stay afloat, paying off operating costs such as security and a huge electric bill which keeps the air conditioning running to keep the behemoth complex cool. However, it's simply not enough.
The center is expected to run out of money this month. Hardy said unexpected operating costs were driving the need for the additional funding. Hardy said the cost overruns were due to miscalculations and oversights in the center's budget, which he helped create.
Center administrators also failed to budget the cost of police services on show nights and other expenses, according to The Herald.
Nonetheless, Hardy says administrators at the center have a 'disaster plan' in place if they can't raise the money, by closing it for 30 days and laying off employees.
County Manager George Burgess has a positive outlook, saying he's sure that as the center gains popularity, revenues will go up along with ticket sales.
County commissioners are not scheduled to vote on the funding request until June 26.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Life Is Not A Carnival For Performing Arts Center
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