WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) secured $225,000 for the construction of a world-class music center on the campus of Sonoma State University. The Donald and Maureen Green Music Center will become the permanent home of the Santa Rosa Symphony and will expand the performing arts programs of Sonoma State University. The FY04 Omnibus bill passed both chambers of Congress.

“A world class music center for Sonoma County is long overdue and will assist the economic development of the community,” said Rep. Woolsey. “I am proud to help the Santa Rosa Symphony and Sonoma State University create a venue to celebrate the performing arts and to develop the talent of the next generation of musical artists in the North Bay.”

“Thanks to Rep. Woolsey for showing strong support for the project and the community,” said Mr. Donald Green, Entrepreneur and supporter of the Green Music Center. "The timing of this award couldn't be better as we work to complete the fund raising for the center. The excitement of this project continues to grow and the community has been particularly generous in its support.

The Green Music Center will be modeled after the Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood in Massachusetts and the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. The 1400-seat concern hall will open at one end to provide lawn seating for 3,000 people with direct views into the hall.

"This is great news,” said Dr. Arminana, President of Sonoma State University. “This will be a wonderful investment of the federal government in the arts, education and economic development for the University and the North Bay."

This $225,000 for the Donald and Maureen Green Music Center is in addition to the $49 million that Rep. Woolsey secured for education, transportation and agricultural projects in Sonoma and Marin Counties in the FY04 Omnibus bill. The Omnibus bill is a combination of seven conference reports that include spending bills for Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/State, District of Columbia, Foreign Operations, Labor/HHS/Education, Transportation/Treasury, Veterans Affairs & Housing and Urban Development (VA-HUD) appropriations bills.