In 2000 The Riley Foundation made a $10 million grant for restoration, with a stipulation that Mississippi State University own and operate the center. The Riley Foundation donated another $2.1 million in 2005 for construction and technology upgrades. Other donations by local, state, and federal agencies followed, including a $4 million donation by Lauderdale County, a $3.6 million grant by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and a $3 million grant from the United States Department of Commerce, both related to urban and economic development. The project's final price tag was slightly under $25 million.MSU Riley Center - Funding
