The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra said Friday that it has raised all but $200,000 of its $5 million fundraising goal and has been awarded a challenge to help it meet its target.

The MSO is seeking the funds to help it shore up gaps in its budget and ensure that the symphony remains solvent. The symphony announced the effort in early December, along with a restructuring plan that included a renegotiation of the contract with musicians.

To date, the MSO has raised $4.8 million and is secured a $200,000 challenge grant. Under the challenge, new and increased gifts to the MSO will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a grant from an anonymous donor.

“The outpouring of support from the Milwaukee community over the past few months has been overwhelming,” said Mark Niehaus, president and executive director of the MSO. “We remain resolute in our fundraising efforts, and we know that the Milwaukee community understands that just like the Stradivarius violin, the MSO is a rare and valuable treasure in our community.”

Michelle Hummer’s 474-day nightmare came to an end Tuesday evening. As the general manager of MASA, a Mexican eatery located down the street from the Minnesota Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis, she watched the restaurant suffer “significant” losses as the performance hall sat dark for more than a year during a historic lockout.

But news broke that musicians and the Minnesota Orchestral Association had finally reached an agreement and ratified a three-year contract that kicks in Feb. 1. With concerts likely to start back up shortly after that, Hummer says she can “already feel the life back in the restaurant.”

“We feel like we can look across the street and have hope,” she said. “It’s nice knowing we are going to have guests who aren’t just protesters.”

Hotels, restaurants and other businesses near Orchestra Hall are thrilled to see the end of the lockout, a drawn-out conflict that had a ripple effect throughout the neighborhood. The city of Minneapolis estimates it lost $2.9 million in parking, dining and other business during the suspended 2013 orchestra season. That includes about $414,000 in parking fees – an Orchestra Hall attendee pays an average of $10 to park during a performance in nearby ramps – and nearly $900,000 in anticipated food and beverage rental at the Minneapolis Convention Center down the street.

For Minneapolis restaurants like MASA, the toll was high. Minneapolis finance officials estimate city restaurants lost $1.7 million in dining revenues for the season.

The Minnesota Orchestra’s own research says about half of people who attend a performance also dine in downtown Minneapolis. About 30 percent of Orchestra Hall patrons attend matinee performances and spend an average of about $40 at a restaurant. Those attending an evening show at the hall, which is an overwhelming majority of visitors, spend an average of $80 an evening, according to the city.

Full story: http://www.minnpost.com/business/2014/01/minnesota-orchestra-lockout-over-businesses-and-city-tally-losses