Leon County commissioners have denied a request to spend money originally set aside for a new performing arts center in Tallahassee on other projects.
The Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency had asked that commissioners split nearly $2 million between two community arts projects.
But those same dollars were awarded to TLH Arts in 2018 for a new performing arts center.
County commissioners voted (4-2) on Tuesday to send back the CRA's recommendation in an effort to give TLH Arts more time to draft a new proposal.
“If we’ve got a fair process - the CRA sends back the same thing they sent us before with the one million and eight hundred thousand but the process was fair and everybody had a chance to rewrite and do all that good stuff - I’m all for it," said Commissioner Nick Maddox, who voted in support of the measure. "But as it sits right now, somebody can say that they were unfairly treated.”
Maddox says commissioners are suggesting - not requiring - the city agency to give TLH more time to fairly compete for the funding.
The CRA's most recent request included $800,000 for the LeMoyne Arts Foundation to open a new center and $1 million to support turning the Ashmore Building in the Frenchtown neighborhood into a museum.
