Additional Funding Needed for Beaumont Storm Shelter/Performing Arts Center

Beaumont Enterprise in Beaumont, Texas recently published a story detailing the need for additional funding to complete a storm shelter/performing arts center for the people of Beaumont in Dome needs more money by Cassie Smith.

Smith reports that the county was given a $3 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency which they passed to the city, who gave it to the Lumberton school district. Smith interviewed Lumberton ISD Superintendent, John Valastro who said that 75 percent of the monolithic dome itself — constructed by Dome Technology — was covered by the grant money. However, since one of the stipulations of the grant was that the structure be multi-functional, it covered only 33 percent of the total project costs.

Optimistic that the funding for the entire project would come, Lumberton ISD began construction looking forward to completing the project in December. At the time the story was published in the Beaumont Enterprise, $5.5 million had been raised and brickwork on the outside of the dome was underway.

Last autumn, Channel 12 News Now of Beaumont featured Lumberton ISD’s monolithic dome storm shelter calling it a “Disaster Dome.” You can watch the news broadcast in our article, Lumberton ISD FEMA funded dome in the news.

Although we don’t recommend this method of funding a project, when all is said and done, this monolithic dome will be a beautiful, multifunctional Performing Arts Facility and provide the community with a much needed storm shelter. Read the full story here: Dome needs more money