[A. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:08]
THE TIME IS NOW 6 O'CLOCK, AND WE ARE CONVENING INTO A WORK SESSION TONIGHT.
WE WILL, CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER, WE'RE GOING TO DO
[B. PRESENTATIONS]
SOME PRESENTATIONS FIRST.WE'RE GOING TO DO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
WE DON'T USUALLY DO PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING ON THESE EVENTS.
BUT WE DO HAVE A COUPLE PROCLAMATIONS TONIGHT, SO WE'LL DO THAT, THEN WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN GO RIGHT INTO OUR WORK SESSION ON OUR ART CENTER.
OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO COME ON DOWN.
OKAY, WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE ACCEPTING FOR THESE PROCLAMATIONS.
WE HAVE HEATHER BOLITO, BATELLO, SLADEN WORK, AND JAMES KULAR.
OKAY, WE'RE DOING THE PROCLAMATIONS ON BABY DAY AT THE FLOWER MOUND PUBLIC LIBRARY ON APRIL 18TH. AND THE PROCLAMATION...
OF NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK FOR APRIL 19TH THROUGH 25TH.
WHEREAS THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF A CHILD'S LIFE MARK A CRITICAL PERIOD OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT SHAPES THEIR COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE EARLY YEARS IN THE SHAPING OF THE FUTURE OF OUR YOUNGEST TEXANS IS CRUCIAL.
THE FIRST THREE YEARS IN OUR ESTEEMED LOCAL HOST, FIRST, I'M SORRY, FIRST THREE YEARS IN OUR ESTEEMED LOCAL HOST FLOWER MOUND PUBLIC LIBRARY JOIN HANDS IN HOSTING AND PRESENTING BABY DAY, A CELEBRATION DEDICATED TO HONORING AND ACKNOWLEDGING THIS REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF GROWTH.
SO I, CHERYL MOORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS, AND ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 18TH.
THE LIBRARIES SERVE AS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY HUB, CONNECTING PEOPLE, CONNECTING PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY AND KNOWLEDGE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES WHILE FOSTERING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CRITICAL THINKING AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT.
WE PROVIDE FREE AND INEQUITABLE ACCESS TO BOOKS.
DIGITAL TOOLS AND PROGRAMMING, ENSURING THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND, HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO LEARN, CONNECT, AND THRIVE.
WE EMPOWER JOB SEEKERS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND LIFELONG LEARNERS BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT CAREER GROWTH AND ECONOMIC SUCCESS.
WE NURTURE YOUNG MINDS THROUGH PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT FOSTER CURIOSITY AND LOVE OF LEARNING THAT LASTS A LIFETIME.
WHILE SERVING AS CHAMPIONS OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND FREE EXPRESSION, LIBRARIES, LIBRARIANS, AND LIBRARY WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE JOINING TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK UNDER THE THEME, FIND YOUR JOY.
SO NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHERYL MOORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS, AND ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 19TH.
THROUGH THE 25TH, 2026, AS NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.
[C. PUBLIC COMMENT]
[00:05:10]
WE'LL MOVE ALONG TO PUBLIC COMMENT.WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE WHO WISH TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM AND SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
WHEN YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL HEAR A BUZZER, BUT BE AWARE THAT YOU STILL HAVE 30 SECONDS.
SO THE FIRST PERSON WE HAVE IS BETH DILLEY.
AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THE TOWN YOU'RE FROM.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPEAK YOUR ADDRESS.
MY NAME IS BETH DILLEY, AND I LIVE IN FLOWER MOUND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S PRESSURE TO MAKE THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE.
WHEN LOOKING AT SPREADSHEETS AND COST EQUIVALENCIES, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT A 500 OR PLUS THEATER BRINGS IN PREDICTABLE TICKET SALES, WHILE AN ART GALLERY SEEMS TO CONSUME SPACE WITHOUT GENERATING EQUIVALENT IMMEDIATE REVENUE.
IT'S TEMPTING TO VIEW THE GALLERY AS A NICE-TO-HAVE LUXURY RATHER THAN A NECESSITY.
HOWEVER, I ARGUE THAT MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION SOLELY BY ITS GATE RECEIPTS IS A FUNDAMENTAL MISUNDERSTANDING OF ITS PURPOSE.
WE BUILD AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE.
IF WE INCLUDE AN ART GALLERY, WE BUILD A COMMUNITY HUB.
WHILE PERFORMANCES HAPPEN AT SET TIMES, GALLERIES OFFER CONSISTENT DAILY ACCESS.
IT'S AN OPEN DOOR FOR FAMILIES, SCHOOL GROUPS, AND VISITORS AT NO COST, FOSTERING INCLUSION AND BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO CULTURE.
FURTHERMORE, AN ART GALLERY ATTRACTS VISITORS OUTSIDE OF SHOW TIMES, DRIVING FOOT TRAFFIC TO DOWNTOWN AREAS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, SUCH AS THE RIVERWALK, WHERE THIS IS GOING TO BE LOCATED.
WHICH SORELY NEEDS FOOT TRAFFIC.
IT PROVIDES CRUCIAL SUPPORT TO LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS, OFFERING THEM A PLATFORM THAT THEATERS CANNOT.
IT TURNS A BUILDING THAT IS EMPTY MOST OF THE DAY INTO A LIVING, BREATHING SPACE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY'S IDENTITY AND PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT THEATER TICKETS CANNOT PROVIDE.
PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE TWO SPACES ARE NOT COMPETITORS.
A THEATERGOER ARRIVING EARLY FOR A SHOW WILL WALK THROUGH A GALLERY THAT WILL ENRICH THEIR EXPERIENCE AND INCREASE THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF OUR CENTER.
LOCAL ARTISTS FEATURED IN OUR GALLERY BUILD THE FOLLOWING, AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THEATER EVENTS.
TOGETHER, THEY CREATE A FULL, IMMERSIVE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM THAT MAKES OUR CITY A DESTINATION AND NOT A STOPOVER.
AN ART GALLERY IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR LOCAL TALENT, OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND OUR COMMUNITY'S EMOTIONAL AND INTELLECTUAL WELL-BEING.
FINALLY, LET ME SAY THAT WHILE A THEATER BRINGS PEOPLE IN FOR THE NIGHT, A GALLERY MAKES THEM PROUD TO LIVE HERE.
LET US CHOOSE TO BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE CULTURAL CENTER THAT SERVES THE SOUL OF OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR TICKETS.
LET'S NOT BE THE COMMUNITY THAT BUILT AN ART CENTER AND FAILED TO INCLUDE THE ART.
MAYOR, TOWN COUNCIL, STAFF, I'M LIZ BRANNON.
I'VE BEEN ON THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION SINCE 2016, AND I'M CURRENTLY THE CHAIRMAN.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THREE THINGS TONIGHT.
NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING THE TOWN COUNCIL WHO IS GOING TO BRING A LONG-HELD DREAM TO LIFE IN FLOWER MOUND.
AND THAT'S HAVING AN ART CENTER.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AND WISHING FOR AN ART CENTER FOR WELL OVER A DECADE, MAYBE TWO DECADES, BUT THE TIME WAS NEVER RIGHT.
WITH SUPPORT OF THE STATE AND THE COUNTY, FLOWER MOUND IS NOW POISED TO OFFER A WORLD-CLASS ART CENTER TO THE TOWN, TO THE COUNTY, AND REALLY TO ALL OF NORTHERN TEXAS.
TO MAKE IT HAPPEN REQUIRES A LOT OF THINGS, INCLUDING A TOWN COUNCIL WITH VISION, WITH INTELLIGENCE AND WITH GUTS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SHOWN YOU HAVE THAT, THE VISION AND THE INTELLIGENCE AND THE GUTS, AND YOU'RE MOVING THIS LONG-WISHED-FOR DREAM
[00:10:02]
FORWARD, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.THE CULTURE ARTS COMMISSION IS ANXIOUS TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND TO MAKE THIS ARTS CENTER A REALITY.
NUMBER TWO, WE ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE TO DO THIS RIGHT, AND THAT TIME IS NOW.
WE NEED TO RESPECT THE OPINIONS AND THE INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, AND ARTISTS TO BE SURE THAT WE DON'T CREATE SOMETHING THAT ONLY PARTIALLY FULFILLS THE DREAM AND THE NEEDS OF AN ARTS CENTER.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE'RE BUILDING THE ARTS CENTER IN RIVERWALK, A PLACE THAT WAS CREATED WITH HIGH HOPES THAT STILL HAVEN'T MATERIALIZED.
IT'S HARD TO GO BACK AND RETROFIT SOMETHING INTO WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AS WE FINALIZE PLANS FOR THE ARTS CENTER, LET'S BE SURE WE MAKE OUR ONE CHANCE AT A WORLD-CLASS ARTS CENTER ACTUALLY MATERIALIZE.
AND NUMBER THREE, WE AGREE THAT OUR ARTS CENTER NEEDS TO BE A PLACE FOR THE PERFORMING AND THE VISUAL ARTS.
IN SEEING THE INITIAL PROPOSAL FOR THE CENTER, A GALLERY FOR THE VISUAL ARTS WAS NOT GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE.
WE HAVE ARTISTS HERE WHO WORK IN BRONZE, CLAY, GLASS, STONE, PRECIOUS METALS, MIXED MEDIA.
ONLY A PORTION OF VISUAL ART IS TWO-DIMENSIONAL.
THERE'S A LOT OF MAGNIFICENT VISUAL ART THAT CAN'T BE FLAT AND IN A FRAME.
IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT OUR ART CENTER INCLUDE THE 3D VISUAL ARTISTS IN THE FINAL PLAN BY PRIORITIZING A DEDICATED GALLERY.
FINALLY, WE OWE THIS TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO OUR ARTISTS WHO WILL ENJOY THE VISUAL AND THE PERFORMING ARTS FOR DECADES TO COME.
I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF MAKING THIS DREAM A REALITY AND PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL TO DO SOMETHING THIS SIGNIFICANT.
I'M COMING AS A CITIZEN, A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
I'VE BEEN WORKING TO GET ARTS IN THE TOWN SINCE BEFORE THE TOWN.
AND I STAND TO SIGN ON TO BETH DILLEY'S STATEMENT AND TO LIZ BRENNAN'S STATEMENT.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY.
RATHER THAN TAKE A LOT OF TIME, I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE THE FACT THAT THOSE IDEAS AND THE LENS THROUGH WHICH WE ALL LOOK IS TO HAVE A COMPLETE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT ARTISTS ARE SUPERFLUOUS.
IT'S THE FIRST THING TO GO IF THE BUDGET IS LOW.
ART IN THE SCHOOLS, IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.
IT LINES UP WAY BEHIND SPORTS.
A GREAT CITY, THE DEFINITION OF ANY CITY OR TOWN OR COMMUNITY THAT'S CIVILIZED HAS ART.
THAT'S ONE OF THE SEVEN POINTS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS IS FROM ANCIENT HISTORY.
SO WE ARE ABOUT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE A GREAT CITY AND THAT WE CAN HAVE ART HERE, AND WE CAN HAVE GREAT ART.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES PEOPLE AND BRINGS THEM TOGETHER.
AND ALL THE ARTS ARE IN OUR VIEW ALL THE TIME.
WE JUST DON'T THINK OF IT LIKE THAT.
WE THINK THAT WHEN WE GET DRESSED, WE GET DRESSED TO GO SOMEWHERE BECAUSE THAT LOOKS GOOD.
BUT WHY DOES IT LOOK GOOD? AND WHY DO WE LIKE IT? WELL, THERE'S SOME ART BACK THERE BEHIND YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS THAT'S CAUSING YOU TO FEEL THAT WAY.
WHEN YOU PICK OUT A CAR, WHEN YOU ARRANGE YOUR FOOD ON THE PLATE, WHEN YOU DESIGN YOUR GARDEN, IT'S A LOT OF ART GOING ON.
AND ART CAN BE INSPIRATIONAL AND IT BUILDS THE COMMUNITY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE TO DO WITH MONEY.
I KNOW IT TAKES MONEY TO PUT IT SOMEWHERE, BUT IT'S NOT THE PRIMARY GOAL.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS HERE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SO LONG.
AND REALLY WE NEED A CONSENSUS OF THE GREATEST NEED.
AND I THINK THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, WITH A PERFORMING PLACE AND A GALLERY IN UNISON, AND A GARDEN, A BEAUTIFUL PARK, IT NEEDS TO BE IN A BEAUTIFUL PARK.
[00:15:02]
AND IT NEEDS TO BE A COOL PLACE WHERE TEENAGERS WANT TO HANG OUT.NOT NECESSARILY BANDED BY MONEY, ALTHOUGH MONEY IS A PRIORITY.
WE ALL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE OF YOU.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT ALL THIS TIME.
AND I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE TOGETHER AND THAT WE HAVE AN ARTS COMMISSION AND WE HAVE A LOT OF LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE WORKING TOWARD THE SAME GOAL.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY LAST MONTH TO VISIT THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION WORK SESSION AND WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE ALL THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED IN THE ARTS CENTRE.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT BOTH THE VISUAL AND THE PERFORMING ARTS ARE ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED.
THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS A LOT OF FACTORS TO CONSIDER AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT.
THIS WILL BE AN AMAZING GATHERING PLACE FOR FLOWER MOUND RESIDENTS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER DIVERSE PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITS THAT DRAW VISITORS TO FLOWER MOUND TO STAY IN OUR HOTELS, EAT IN OUR RESTAURANTS.
THIS NEEDS TO BE UNIQUE, JUST LIKE FLOWER MOUND.
THE ABILITY TO USE THE TUR'S MONEY FOR CONSTRUCTION WITH COUNTY PARTICIPATION IS IMPORTANT AND WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION COSTS, THE COST RECOVERY AND THE USE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES SO WE DON'T BURDEN THE RESIDENTS.
FINALLY, I URGE YOU TO ENSURE THE LANDSCAPING AND THE EXTERIOR IS SPECIAL.
THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LEADER AND SHOW OUR RESIDENTS, OUR HOAS, AND OUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THERE ARE BETTER ALTERNATIVES TO BERMUDA GRASS, WHICH OFFERS NO VALUE TO WILDLIFE.
NATIVE BUFFALO GRASS THAT HAS TO BE MOWED VERY INFREQUENTLY AND IS VERY DROUGHT TOLERANT WOULD SAVE THE TOWN MONEY ON MAINTENANCE AND IRRIGATION.
THE USE OF OTHER NATIVE PLANTS, WILDFLOWERS, AND OTHER GRASSES THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL AND ALSO DROUGHT-TOLERANT ONCE ESTABLISHED WOULD ALSO OFFER COST SAVINGS, ALONG WITH OFFERING NATIVE HABITAT TO BIRDS, BEES, AND OTHER WILDLIFE.
THIS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER IS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT FACILITY FOR FARMLAND FOR DECADES TO COME, AND IT SHOULD BE A WORLD-CLASS FACILITY INSIDE AND OUT.
I AM A RESIDENT OF FLOWER MOUND AND ALSO ON THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE MANY RESIDENTS HERE AND MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TODAY THAT ARE ARTISTS, INCLUDING PAINTERS, SINGERS, SCULPTORS, WRITERS, PERFORMERS, CINEMATOGRAPHERS, DOODLERS, KNITTERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, INCLUDING ALL OF US THAT TAKE PICTURES WITH OUR PHONES.
SO WE HAVE A ROOM FULL OF ARTISTS OF ALL DIFFERENT TYPES.
WE HAVE ALL GOTTEN LOST IN LISTENING, CREATING OR PLAYING MUSIC, VIEWING AN OUTSTANDING MOVIE, WATCHING A PLAY, PAINTING, COLORING, DOODLING, TAKING OR VIEWING A PICTURE.
WE READ A BOOK OR LOOK AT A PICTURE THAT IS SO WONDERFUL.
YOU TALK WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE BOOK.
YOU LEND IT TO A FRIEND AND THEN DISCUSS THE BOOK WITH THEIR FRIENDS TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS.
MY STEPMOTHER, WHO PASSED AWAY IN JANUARY, HAD DEMENTIA.
SHE WOULD GET RATTLED AND CONFUSED.
WE WOULD CALM HER DOWN BY PLAYING EITHER SOME CLASSICAL MUSIC OR THE BEATLES.
MY STEPMOTHER IN THE BEGINNING HEARD DEMENTIA.
IN THE BEGINNING PART OF HER DEMENTIA, SHE WOULD SING ALONG, THEN SHE WOULD HUM, BUT EVENTUALLY SHE WOULD JUST KIND OF TAP HER FINGER TO THE BEAT.
AND SHE WOULD RELAX AND CALM DOWN WHENEVER THE MUSIC STARTED TO PLAY.
ART HAS MULTIPLE LAYERS OF HAPPY PLACE.
WHAT DOES ART BRING? JUST TO NAME A FEW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
JOY, HAPPINESS, INSPIRATION, CALMNESS, AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING, AND WONDER.
IT OPENS YOUR EYES TO OTHER POINTS OF VIEW.
MY WISH IS THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER IS A COMMUNITY
[00:20:02]
GATHERING PLACE FOR ARTISTS OF ALL TYPES, YOUNG AND OLD, BEGINNER TO PROFESSIONAL, WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS THAT EXPOSE OUR RESIDENTS TO DIFFERENT ART FORMS AND STYLES.AND IT CONTINUES TO HAVE THAT BREADTH OF ART.
I AM SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION DURING SUCH AN EXCITING TIME AS THIS, AND I WANT TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT THAT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DEDICATED ART GALLERY IN THIS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, AND THERE ARE TWO OTHER AREAS THAT I THINK COULD BE LOOKED AT AS A WAY TO STAY ON BUDGET.
BUT I'M HOPING WE CAN ALLOCATE SOME FUNDS FOR THEM.
ONE OF THEM WOULD BE THE 650-SEAT AUDITORIUM.
SINCE THERE ARE ALREADY TWO OTHER AREAS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT OFFER THE 500-SEAT AUDITORIUMS, AND A LARGER SEATING AREA MIGHT ATTRACT SOME PERFORMANCES THAT WE OTHERWISE COULD NOT HAVE.
THE OTHER AREA, WHEN THE ARCHITECTS WERE HERE, WE GOT TO SEE THE SITE PLAN.
ON THE ASPIRATIONAL PLAN THAT THEY SHOWED US, AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
IT ALMOST LOOKED LIKE A LITTLE PARK WITHIN THE RIVERWALK.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, EVEN AS YOU APPROACH THE SPECIAL CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, THAT AESTHETICALLY YOU SEE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND GET A FEEL FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WHEN YOU GO INSIDE.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL LATER NOT TO HAVE REGRETS.
I WISH WE COULD HAVE GONE FOR MORE WHEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO THE MAIN THING IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL ARTS CENTER, BUT IF WE CAN DO A LITTLE MORE, IF WE CAN FIND A LITTLE MORE FUNDING, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING TOO.
I DO HAVE A COMMENT CARD FROM RON MILLER.
HE DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK TONIGHT, BUT HE DOES.
PORT, THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER.
AND THEN THE LAST SPEAKER IS LAVERNE AMSTERDAM.
SHE HAS DONATED TIME FOR MURPHY MANTA.
I SEE HIM OUT IN THE CROWD, SO HE CAN DONATE THAT TIME.
SO THAT GIVES YOU SIX MINUTES.
I AM SO GLAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME FOR FLOWER MOUND.
I AM SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU FOR ENABLING ME TO BE A PART OF THIS WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE OF BRINGING ONE OF THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE CULTURAL ARTS MASTER PLAN, BUILDING A CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, TO FRUITION.
I WANT TO THANK THIS BODY INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, AND THIS TOWN COUNCIL FOR HAVING THE VISION AND FOR TAKING THE STEPS NECESSARY TO BRING THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER TO REALITY.
CURRENTLY, THERE IS A DEFICIENCY OF ABOUT $26 MILLION BETWEEN THE FUNDS AVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
WHILE THIS IS A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, I'M ASKING YOU TO COMMIT TO THIS FUNDING AND TO CONSIDER YOUR VISION FOR FLOWER MOUND, YOUR LEGACY, AND WHAT YOU WILL DO, THE ACTIONS YOU WILL TAKE, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE FLOWER MOUND THE MOST DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE NOW, 20, 30, 40 YEARS FROM NOW, AND BEYOND. ART IS A GIFT TO THE FLOWER-MOUND RESIDENTS.
ART AS A GIFT TO THE FLOWER-MOUND RESIDENTS IS PRICELESS, BUT AT THE BARE MINIMUM IT YIELDS UNTENABLE RETURN IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS.
DURING THE MOST DESPERATE TIME OF MY LIFE, AFTER MY FIRST HUSBAND DIED AND OUR SON WAS ONLY ELEVEN, GOING TO THE DALLAS SYMPHONY PERFORMANCES WITH OUR SON BECAME BECAME THE ONLY PLACE WHERE I WAS FREE FROM THE BURDEN OF LIFE AND COULD FIND SOME JOY AND EUPHORIA. ONE OF THE ADJUNCT BENEFITS FROM THAT IS THAT IT BECAME A GIFT TO OUR SON WHO LEARNED TO ENJOY AND APPRECIATE THE ARTS.
[00:25:01]
TO LOVE THE ARTS.IT UNINTENTIONALLY BECAME A GIFT TO HIM, A GIFT TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
THIS IS THE POWER OF ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES AND FORMS OF ART. WE ARE LIVING IN THE FLOWER MOUND TODAY THAT WAS THE VISION OF NUMEROUS TOWN COUNCILS THAT PRECEDED THIS BODY. SO I ASK THIS TOWN COUNCIL, WHAT WILL FLOWER MOUND BE RECOGNIZED FOR IN 20, 40, 60, A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW? WHEN YOU SAY ARLINGTON, TEXAS, PEOPLE THINK PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. SAY NEW YORK AND PEOPLE THINK BROADWAY SHOWS, AND SANTA FE CONJURES UP ALL TYPES AND FORMS OF ART.
YOU, THIS BODY, CAN GIVE FLOWER MOUND ITS FOREVER IDENTITY SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS FLOWER MOUND, THAT NAME WILL BE SYNONYMOUS WITH BEING THE NUMBER ONE PLACE TO LIVE BECAUSE IT IS A PLACE WHERE TREES, TRAILS, PARKS, AND ALL TYPES AND ART FORMS ARE THE TOWN'S PRIORITY GIFTS TO HER RESIDENTS TO ENSURE IT REMAINS THE NUMBER ONE PLACE AND ACTUALLY THE MOST DESIRABLE PLACE IN THE COUNTRY TO LIVE.
I ASK YOU, IF NOT ALL FORMS OF ART, STARTING WITH THIS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, TO HELP MOVE FLOWER MOUND, TO HELP FLOWER MOUND GAIN AND MAINTAIN A SUSTAINABLE, ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL IDENTITY AS A CULTURAL ARTS DESTINATION, THEN WHAT? WHAT WILL FLOWER MOUND BE RECOGNIZED FOR IN 20, 40, 60, 100 YEARS FROM NOW? WILL IT BECOME ANOTHER ONE OF THE APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHT TOWNS WITH POPULATION OVER A HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE, OR WILL IT BE A NAME THAT IS RECOGNIZED AS A NUMBER ONE PLACE TO LIVE FULL OF TREES, PARKS, AND TRAILS, THE ART CAPITAL OF TEXAS, AND THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION CITY IN THE COUNTRY FOR ALL TYPES AND FORMS OF ART? WE ARE LIVING TODAY IN THE FLOWER MOUND THAT WAS THE VISION OF THE NUMEROUS TOWN COUNCILS THAT PRECEDED THIS TOWN COUNCIL. ARLINGTON, NEW YORK, AND SANTA FE DID NOT BECOME RENOWNED BY ACCIDENT.
THEY WERE CREATED BY TOWN COUNCILS, AND I PUT THAT IN QUOTES, THAT HAD A VISION OF WHAT THOSE PLACES COULD BECOME.
VISIONARIES, THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO PLAN FOR A FUTURE THAT IS BEYOND ONE'S LIFESPAN.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE ALL VISIONARIES AND THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, THE TOWN COUNCIL THAT CAN AND WILL CREATE THE FUTURE IDENTITY OF FLOWER MOUND THAT WILL BE KNOWN FOR HER TREES, PARKS, TRAILS, AND AS THE ART CAPITAL OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND DARE I SAY, THE NATION, DREAMING BIG.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO FLOWER MOUND.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR EVERY CONSIDERATION.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS STILL OPEN IF ANYBODY WISHES TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
[D. WORK SESSION ITEM]
TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO THE SEAT, JAMES AND I HAD A MEETING, ONE OF OUR FIRST MEETINGS, ONE-ON-ONE, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANT...
ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES IS TO MAKE SOMETHING SPECIAL OUT OF RIVERWALK AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS WHOLE COUNCIL HAS REALLY WANTED FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE AND IT COULD BE EVEN MORE SPECIAL BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN SO MUCH TIME SINCE THE RIVERWALK WAS ESTABLISHED AND WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT CAPACITY TO MAKE THIS A SPECIAL PLACE AND SO WE ACQUIRED ABOUT 3.7 ACRES FROM THE LANDOWNER OVER THERE AND WE WANT TO MAKE THIS SPECIAL SO WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT PUTTING A CULTURAL ARTS CENTER IN THIS SPACE.
WE HAVE HAD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THIS IS A WORK SESSION TONIGHT.
WE'LL TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PRE-DESIGNED PHASE OF THIS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER AND SOME OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS, HOW THIS IS GOING TO LOOK.
AND I KNOW JAMES HAS A GREAT PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
AND AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE MORE ENGAGEMENT ON THIS.
THIS IS JUST A WORK SESSION TONIGHT. GREAT DISSCUSSION, I APPRECIATE IT.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE ARTS CENTER THIS EVENING, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PRINCIPALLY TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE OUR CONSULTANT TEAM HERE TODAY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THOROUGHLY THROUGH THE CONCEPTS THAT THEY HAVE TO BRING FORWARD, GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT ARE CONTAINED IN THE TWO PACKAGES, OR ACTUALLY I THINK THERE'S A
[00:30:01]
THIRD THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, AND ALSO GOING TO SHARE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION LAST MONTH IN THEIR MEETING.WHAT I WANT TO DO BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT PRESENTATION IS PROVIDE A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OF THIS PARTICULAR FACILITY.
AS WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, I'VE HAD TO SAY THIS IS VERY COMPLEX HOW WE'RE TRYING TO APPROACH IT.
I THINK YOU AS A COUNCIL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD COMMAND OF HOW A TERS WORKS BECAUSE OF YOUR ROLE AND YOUR EXPOSURE TO THE PRODUCT, BUT I KNOW MANY IN THE AUDIENCE MAY NOT FULLY COMPREHEND HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT DOING THIS, AND ALSO FOR FOLKS WATCHING, AND I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT.
WE PROVIDE THAT SENSE OF THE HOW.
HOW CAN WE GET THIS DONE? AND EVEN AS A TOWN MANAGER, THERE'S OFTEN TIMES WHERE I SIT WITH JOHN AND I'M A CONSTRUCTION PAPER AND CRAYONS GUY.
SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO BREAK IT DOWN TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND IT.
AND IN ESSENCE, WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IS HOW I COME TO UNDERSTAND IT.
AND IN SHARING IT WITH THE TEAM, THEY FELT LIKE THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO HELP PEOPLE GET THEIR HEADS AROUND HOW THIS CAN POTENTIALLY WORK.
SO I'M GOING TO DO THAT PRESENTATION.
AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THAT, IT CAN BETTER CONTEXTUALIZE SOME OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR.
FROM OUR CONSULTANTS THE THING THAT I WANT TO STRESS BEFORE I GO INTO MY PRESENTATION IS THE FACT THAT YOU'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION TONIGHT.
THAT'S THE ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE SURE NO DECISION IS BEING MADE TONIGHT THIS IS THIS IS A BIG DECISION.
IT'S A BIG PROJECT AND REALLY THIS IS ABOUT STARTING THE DIALOGUE OF WHAT ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE A PERTINENT DECISION AT THE END BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE END OF THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN PROCESS AND SO FROM THE NEXT STEPS PROCESS IS ESSENTIALLY THE NEXT STEP IS AFTER YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED FROM US, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION.
YOU'RE GOING TO ASK US TO BRING FORWARD A SCHEMATIC DESIGN CONTRACT TO COUNCIL.
ONCE THAT'S AUTHORIZED, WE'RE COMMITTED AND WE'RE GOING.
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS DESIGNING A BUILDING.
AT THAT POINT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS NOT TO DO ANYTHING.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE THAT FULL CONTEXT.
WE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AS WE PROCEED.
SO AGAIN, NO PRESSURE TONIGHT.
I MEAN, IF Y'ALL ARE GOOD AND WE CAN GO, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND WE'LL TRY OUR LEVEL BEST TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE THIS EVENING.
BUT REALLY, THE KEY FOR US IS TO GO BACK AND MAKE SURE WE GET YOU THE ANSWERS AND COME BACK TO YOU AT A LATER DATE.
SO LET ME GET MY PRESENTATION OUT OF THE WAY.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD COMMAND OF HOW A TERS WORKS.
AND I JUST ASSUMED THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST, A LOT OF PEOPLE'S FIRST INTRODUCTION TO HOW A TERS WORKS.
WE LOVE ACRONYMS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUT A TERS IS A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
IN SOME OTHER CITIES, THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS TIPS, OR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.
AND WHAT THAT IS IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL THAT'S AVAILABLE.
ONCE WE DRAW BOUNDARIES FOR A TERS AREA, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT A BASE VALUE IS SET ON AVALORUM TAXABLE VALUE.
AND THAT'S SET AND FROZEN IN TIME.
BUT AS THAT AREA GROWS IN VALUE, THAT INCREMENT IS CAPTURED AND THAT FUNDING IS CAPTURED TO BE REINVESTED IN THAT ZONE.
AND THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, BOTH HORIZONTAL, YOUR STREETS, YOUR PIPES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT ALSO VERTICAL BUILDINGS AND OTHER THINGS TOO.
AND THE FUNDING CAN BE USED FOR OTHER USES, INCLUDING POTENTIALLY OPERATIONS OR ONGOING COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.
TURS NUMBER ONE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2005, AND IT WAS PLANNED FOR 20 YEARS.
IT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE ON DECEMBER 31ST OF 2024.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THAT ONGOING VALUE.
IN 2005, THE BASE VALUE IN THE TERS BOUNDARIES WAS ROUGHLY $230 MILLION.
AS OF TODAY, THAT CURRENT VALUE IN THAT SAME ZONE IS $2.1 BILLION.
SO THAT DELTA, $1.9 MILLION, IS THE INCREMENT, AND THAT IS WHAT GENERATES THE REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN.
IN A FEW SLIDES, YOU'LL GET A SENSE OF WHAT THAT ANNUAL REVENUE LOOKS LIKE.
THE THING THAT I WANT TO STRESS IS THAT ALL THE INFORMATION ON OUR TERS IS PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN GO TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SITE.
YOU CAN GO ON OUR SITE AND SEARCH TURS, BUT YOU CAN SEE OUR ANNUAL REPORTS, YOU CAN SEE EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S SPENT IN THE AREA, YOU CAN SEE THE BOOKS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE TO STUDY AND GET MORE ACCUSTOMED TO.
SO THE KEY THING, AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, IS THAT THE TURS WAS CONTEMPLATED TO BE A 20-YEAR TURS AND TERMINATE AT THE END OF 2024.
WELL, THE TOWN AND DENTON COUNTY, IN REFERENCE TO YOUR OPENING REMARKS, MAYOR, IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LONG-DISCUSSED PROJECT AND THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW ABOUT PARTNERING TOGETHER TO TRY TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE. AND DURING THE COURSE OF THE TIMES THE MAYOR REFERENCED, WE ACQUIRED THREE AND A HALF ACRES ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MARRIOTT FOR A POTENTIAL LOCATION FOR THIS FACILITY. AND PART OF THAT IS THE AGREEMENT OF BOTH ENTITIES TO EXTEND THE TERS.
THE THING THAT I WANT TO STRESS IN THE FIRST SUB-BULLET THAT YOU SEE UP THERE IS THAT IT WAS A FIVE-YEAR EXTENSION. AND THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT AFTER THE FIVE-YEAR EXTENSION, YOU WOULD GET ABOUT $50 MILLION WITHIN THE TERS. THAT WAS
[00:35:02]
ESSENTIALLY A PLACEHOLDER BECAUSE WE HADN'T DESIGNED A BUILDING, WE HADN'T STUDIED ANYTHING ELSE LIKE IT. SO THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT WE COULD PUT IT IN THERE.I WISH MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT THAT 50 WAS SUFFICIENT.
IT OBVIOUSLY ISN'T, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
BUT WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST ACCORDINGLY ONCE WE STARTED GETTING THE VETTED NUMBERS FOR THE PROJECT.
BUT THUS FAR, THE TERS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 2029. AND THE OTHER THING TO MENTION IS THAT WITH THAT INCREMENT IS GENERATED, THERE'S ALSO A PARTICIPATION RATE OR PERCENTAGE THAT'S ALSO INVOLVED IN IT. AND SO A FEW YEARS BACK, DENTON COUNTY DROPPED THEIR PARTICIPATION RATE TO ABOUT 80%.
WITH THE EXTENSION, THE TOWN MADE THE DECISION TO LOWER THE PARTICIPATION RATE TO 80%. WE'RE NOW CURRENTLY AT 75% WITH THE COUNTY, AND THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT AS WE EXTEND OUT, WE WERE GOING TO DROP THAT PARTICIPATION RATE ABOUT 5% ANNUALLY. AND YOU SEE RIGHT NOW THAT BOTH ENTITIES ARE AT 75%, AND THE REASON I HAVE AN ASTERISK ON THAT IS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RECONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR A POTENTIAL PROJECT. THE THING THAT I'LL NOTE ABOUT THE TERS, AND THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS GETTING VERY INTRICATE, IS THAT WHEN WE DROP DOWN TO 80% AND NOW AT OUR 75%, THAT PERCENTAGE NOW COMES TO OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'VE DONE TO MAINTAIN OUR TAX RATE, DESPITE WHAT OUR TAX BASE IS DOING AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
AND I'LL GET INTO THAT WHEN WE START GOING THROUGH THE NUMBERS.
BUT THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT IF IT'S NOT GOING TO THE TERS, IT'S COMING TO OUR GENERAL FUND.
THIS SLIDE IS REALLY GOING TO BE THE BASIS OF A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS.
SO AT OUR 75% PARTICIPATION RATE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOWN IS GENERATING $5.5 MILLION AND DENTON COUNTY IS GENERATING APPROXIMATELY $2.1 MILLION FOR AN ANNUAL INCREMENT OF $7.6 MILLION.
THE TWO CHARTS YOU SEE THERE REPRESENTS A TIMELINE OF ROUGHLY 20 YEARS, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF HOW THE FUNDS ARE COMPOUNDING IN A TOURIST FUND.
AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, AND THE YEARS YOU SEE THERE ARE FISCAL YEARS.
SO TO THINK ABOUT IT IS THAT THE YEAR IS THE LAST YEAR OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.
SO THIS WILL BE OUR FISCAL YEAR 26-27.
THE FUND BALANCE WITHIN OUR TOURIST FUND WILL BE $37 MILLION.
AND AS YOU SEE THERE ANNUALLY, IT'S INCREASING BY INCREMENTS OF $7.6 MILLION.
NOW THAT'S US BEING CONSERVATIVE.
THAT NUMBER MAY GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
IT DEPENDS, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
BUT THE THING THAT I'LL POINT OUT IS YOU SEE OVER TIME, AND THIS ASSUMES THAT WE EXTEND THE TERS, YOU KNOW, TO 2046, YOU CAN SEE IF LEFT ALONE, THOSE FUNDS WILL COMPOUND TO THE AMOUNT YOU SEE THERE AT 2046, ABOUT $182 MILLION.
NOW, DURING THAT TIME FRAME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE HAVE ROUGHLY $30 MILLION IN THE FUND RIGHT NOW, SO IT'S ABOUT $150 MILLION OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD.
THE REASON I WANT TO SHOW THIS IS THAT ESSENTIALLY THE TERS HAS THE CAPABILITY TO FUND A SIZABLE PROJECT.
IT'S NOT A FUNDING ISSUE IN THE TRUEST SENSE OF THE WORD.
IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE COME DOWN TO TIMING, AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE BEFORE I LEAVE THIS SLIDE IS THAT WE MAY GET QUESTIONS OR PEOPLE MAY ASK, WELL, WHAT IF THE TERS GOES AWAY? ESSENTIALLY, THOSE $2 AMOUNTS YOU SEE FOR BOTH ENTITIES, THOSE AMOUNTS WILL COME TO THEIR RESPECTIVE GENERAL FUNDS.
SO IN ESSENCE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE $1.9 BILLION WORTH OF VALUE COMING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IF THERE WAS NO TERS, THAT $5.5 MILLION WOULD BE COMING TO OUR GENERAL FUND.
SO IN TALKING ABOUT TIMING, I'M DOING A LITTLE BIT OF A SPOILER ALERT.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE $2 AMOUNTS ON THE BOTTOM, AND THOSE REPRESENT THE TARGET AREAS FOR TWO OF THE PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
THE $75 REPRESENTS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE CAN DO IN A CERTAIN CONTEXT, AND I'LL EXPOUND ON THAT IN A MINUTE.
AND $100 MILLION IS ABOUT THE TOP TARGET FOR THAT ASPIRATIONAL MODEL THAT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES OF THE...
STAKEHOLDERS SHARE WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE FACILITY.
AND SO THERE'S TWO CONCEPTS WE COULD APPROACH THIS AND THE FIRST ONE I'M USING IS USING CASH ON HAND.
YOU SEE THAT CHART THERE, YOU GET A SENSE AT THE END OF EACH FISCAL YEAR HOW MUCH CASH IS GOING TO BE IN A TOURIST FUND.
AND SO WE SAID YOU KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO USE DEBT, WE WANT TO USE CASH, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SO IN ESSENCE IS THAT THERE'S A TWO-YEAR LEAD TIME ESSENTIALLY FOR CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW MEANING THAT WE CAN CONSTRUCT AND DO ALL THESE THINGS.
YOU WANT TO HAVE ALL YOUR MONEY TOGETHER BY THE TIME YOU CLOSE OUT THE PROJECT.
SO IN ESSENCE, YOU CAN KIND OF SNEAK FORWARD A COUPLE YEARS TO START CONSTRUCTION OF A FACILITY.
SO WE'RE USING THIS TWO-YEAR WINDOW USING CASH.
SO FOR INSTANCE, FOR A $75 MILLION FACILITY, WE COULD THEORETICALLY, USING CASH, START CONSTRUCTION AROUND 2030.
AND THEN HAVE THE FACILITY OPEN AND OPERATED BY 2032.
BECAUSE IN 2032, WE SHOULD HAVE $75 MILLION WITHIN THE TURS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S US JUST USING CASH ON HAND.
ADDITIONALLY, IF WE WANTED TO DO THE $100 MILLION PROJECT AND TRY TO USE CASH ON HAND, YOU COULD START CONSTRUCTION
[00:40:02]
APPROXIMATELY IN 2034 AND HAVE THE FACILITY OPEN IN 2036.SO TIME IS THE BIGGEST COMPONENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
OBVIOUSLY THE PROS OF TAKING A CASH APPROACH IS THAT YOU AVOID ISSUING DEBT AND HAVING TO PAY INTEREST.
THE CONS OF THAT IS THAT A $75 MILLION FACILITY ISN'T GOING TO BE A $75 MILLION FACILITY IN 2030.
THE CONSTRUCTION PRICES ARE GOING TO ESCALATE.
AND SO THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE BUILDING GETS.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF ESSENTIALLY SAY IT'S ALMOST A WASH OR A TRADEOFF IN THERE IN THE SENSE OF HOW YOU CAN APPROACH IT.
SO AGAIN, WHAT I JUST WANT TO SAY IS THAT FROM A CASH PERSPECTIVE, YOU COULD DO IT, BUT THE TIMING IS THE BIGGEST ELEMENT OF WHAT YOU CAN TURN AROUND JUST TRYING TO USE CASH ON HAND.
SO HOW DO YOU ADDRESS OR HOW DO YOU BRIDGE THAT TIMING COMPONENT? IT'S THE USE OF DEBT.
AND THE STATE STATUTE LIMITS WHAT DEBT INSTRUMENTS WE COULD USE FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
THERE'S PRINCIPALLY TWO THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT IN THIS SCENARIO.
ONE OF THEM IS A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE.
HAVE AN ACRONYM FOR TAN THERE, BUT A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE IS A FORM OF SHORT-TERM DEBT THAT'S AVAILABLE TO MUNICIPALITIES.
SO IN ESSENCE, WE CAN ISSUE DEBT SERVICE OVER SEVEN YEARS TO PAY FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT.
THE REASON WHY THE $75 MILLION AMOUNT IS THERE, AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IN A SECOND IN THE TIMELINE, ESSENTIALLY WE COULD ISSUE A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE IN 2027 AND PAY IT OFF IN 2034.
AND IT'D BE FOR 75 MILLION DOLLARS.
ONCE YOU EXTEND THAT, THAT STRETCHES OUR ABILITY TO USE THAT TAX DISSIPATION NOTE.
THE OTHER DEBT VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE IS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH.
WE HAD OUR BOND PROGRAM IN 2025.
THOSE WERE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS THAT WE ISSUED FOR THERE.
THERE'S NO SET TIME LIMIT FOR THE DEBT SERVICE WE USE FOR A GO.
YOU HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE, BUT BUT THE RULE OF THUMB FOR FLYER MOUNTING, WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO IS WE DO A 20-YEAR ISSUANCE.
AND GENERALLY, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JOHN, WE'LL PUT A CALL IN AFTER 10 YEARS TO PAY IT OFF EARLY TO SAVE MONEY ON INTEREST.
BUT WE TYPICALLY ISSUE A 20-YEAR NOTE, BUT IN THEORY WITH A GO, YOU CAN SET THE DEBT SERVICE TIMEFRAME WHEREVER YOU WANT TO GO.
AS I MENTIONED, THE KEY THING IS THAT IT'S A VOTER APPROVAL COMPONENT. AND THE REASON WHY IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS LIMITED WHAT TYPE OF DEBT TOOLS THAT YOU COULD USE FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS. IN THE YEARS PAST YOU COULD POTENTIALLY USE COS, WHICH ARE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT THE COUNCIL CAN DO ON THEIR OWN, BUT OVER TIME THEY'VE LIMITED [IT] ONLY TO GOS. SO GOING TO THIS PROJECT, GOS COULD BE USED THEORETICALLY ON 75 OR 100. IT'S JUST A VEHICLE THAT YOU USE; YOU HAVE TO GET VOTER APPROVAL. BUT A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE CAN USE, BUT IT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT YOU CAN HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY ON THIS SLIDE.
SO, SAME TIMELINE THAT I'VE BEEN SHOWING YOU THE LAST FEW SLIDES, BUT THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT INSTEAD OF USING CASH, WE'RE USING DEBT. AND I THINK MANY PEOPLE CAN SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING, IS THAT LET'S JUST SAY FOR OUR $75 MILLION FACILITY, AND AGAIN, IT ASSUMES THAT WE'RE USING A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE FOR IT, YOU COULD START CONSTRUCTION AFTER YOU ISSUE THE BONDS. AND LET'S JUST ASSUME WE DO IT IN FY27. YOU CAN START CONSTRUCTION THEN. YOU CAN HAVE THE FACILITY OPERATING TWO YEARS LATER IN 2029. AND THEN THE END OF YOUR DEBT SERVICE IS GOING TO BE 2034.
SO GOING, IF WE WERE TO DO A $100 MILLION FACILITY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ONLY USE GOS FOR RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANTED TO START CONSTRUCTION IN 2027.
SO SAME THING, YOU CAN START CONSTRUCTION IN 2027, HAVE THE FACILITY OPEN BY 2029, BUT THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT YOUR DEBT SERVICE IS GOING TO RUN TO 2046. AND AGAIN, THAT ASSUMES YOU'RE DOING A 20-YEAR ISSUANCE AND YOU DON'T CALL AND PAY THE DEBT OFF SOONER, WHICH IS, AGAIN, OUR REGULAR PRACTICE.
BUT YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY OF MAKING IT 10 YEARS, WHATEVER NUMBER YOU WANT TO HIT. YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE REQUISITE AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE AND INCOMING REVENUE, THAT $7.6 MILLION, TO MAKE THOSE ANNUALIZED PAYMENTS ON THE DEBT.
THAT'S THE PRESENTATION, IN ESSENCE.
I'M SORRY, I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF.
THE PROS ARE YOU CAN START CONSTRUCTION SOONER, BUT THE CONS ARE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY INTEREST ON THE DEBT THAT YOU ISSUE.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S ABOUT TIMING, REALLY, AND TRULY HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH THERE.
THERE'S SOME NUANCE TO THIS, FOR SURE.
THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT ANGLES WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, BUT WHAT THE INTENTION OF THIS PRESENTATION WAS IS TO PROVIDE THAT 10,000-FOOT VIEW OF THIS CONCEPT. SO, PEOPLE AT LEAST UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO APPROACH THIS AND THE WAY WE CAN APPROACH IT, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE THE DEBT SERVICE WILL BE PAID FROM THE TERS. IT WILL NOT HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR INS RATE, WHICH IS THE DEBT SERVICE RATE
[00:45:01]
OF OUR TAX RATE. BUT WITH THE SAME THING, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS THAT, THEORETICALLY, THOSE TERS FUNDS COULD BE DIVERTED TO OUR GENERAL FUND TO GIVE US ADDITIONAL REVENUE.SO THERE'S A TRADE-OFF THERE FOR SURE. BUT AGAIN, MY HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS KIND OF CONTEXTUALIZE HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT DOING THIS AND HOW IT CAN POTENTIALLY WORK.
AND REALLY, I WANTED TO ARM YOU WITH SOME INFORMATION BECAUSE WHEN OUR CONSULTANTS COME UP AND WALK THROUGH THAT, YOU CAN MAYBE PROCESS HOW YOU COULD APPROACH DIFFERENT DOLLAR AMOUNTS MOVING FORWARD. BUT ULTIMATELY, THAT'S MY PRESENTATION. I BROUGHT JOHN UP TO ANSWER ALL THE HARD QUESTIONS. BUT ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT WE JUST SHARED WITH YOU? WHAT ARE THE CURRENT INTEREST RATES OF GEOS AND PANS? SO RIGHT NOW, 4.5%.
AND BOTH ARE ABOUT THE SAME? WELL, JOHN, DO YOU WANT TO JUST GO AHEAD AND COME ON UP? OKAY. SO GOS ARE ABOUT 4.5%.
YOU CAN GET LOWER RATES FOR TAX ANTICIPATION NOTES JUST BECAUSE IT'S A SHORTER-TERM DEBT.
SO, YEAH, THEY'RE SEEN AS MORE SECURE.
SO IF THE MARKET GOES INVERTED AGAIN, THAT COULD REVERSE.
SO JUST AT ANY TIME, THOSE THINGS CAN SWITCH JUST BECAUSE OF HOW THE ECONOMY IS FUNCTIONING RIGHT NOW.
IF WE ISSUE THIS, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO WANT TO KNOW, EVERYBODY, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE TOP QUESTION I KNOW, IS HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT OUR TAX RATE? NEITHER OF THOSE WILL INCREASE OR DECREASE YOUR TAX RATE.
THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS, BUT THERE IS NO DIRECT IMPACT ON YOUR TAX RATE.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION, AND I WANT THAT.
YES, BUT THE THING I WANT TO CAVEAT JUST TO BE TRANSPARENT IS THAT THEORETICALLY THOSE FUNDS CAN COME OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP LOWER THE TAX RATE OR MAINTAIN A LOWER TAX RATE.
SO IT'S TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR TAX RATE, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY SAYING YOU'RE NOT TELLING THE WHOLE STORY.
SO THOSE FUNDS CAN COME OVER TO SUPPORT OUR GENERAL FUND.
YES, THE APPROACH WOULD BE TO UTILIZE THE TOURIST PAY OFF.
SO FOR THE TURS, IF WE PLAYED WITH THE PARTICIPATION RATES FOR THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO GENERATE ENOUGH MONEY IN THE TURS TO DO A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE FOR THE LARGER $100 MILLION AMOUNT? SO I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU CAN LOWER THEM, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO RAISE THEM.
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE IT'S BAKED INTO OUR TAX RATE.
SO IF YOU RAISE THE PARTICIPATION RATE, THAT'S GOING TO DRIVE OUR TAX RATE UP.
AND SO WE CAN BRING THEM DOWN, AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED THAT 75% WITH THE ASTERISK.
THE BEST THING IS PROBABLY FOR BOTH ENTITIES TO HOLD AT 75% TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GENERATING THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE TERS.
SO IN THEORY, YES, WE COULD TAKE THAT APPROACH.
THE PROBLEM IS YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAKING FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND THE TAX RATE IN ORDER TO UP THAT PARTICIPATION RATE.
SO ON THAT LAST SLIDE, SO IF WE USE THE NOTES.
THEN WE NEED TO MODIFY THE TERS TO REMAIN AT 75% AND WE NEED TO EXTEND IT TO 2034.
I WOULD NOT SUPPORT EXTENDING THE TERS FOR 20 YEARS, JUST PERSONALLY, AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEND THIS TO THE VOTERS.
SO LET'S ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, AND THAT IS THE VATRE, THE TALK OF THE VATRE.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY TO THE PUBLIC THAT I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN OFFER IN IT.
I AM ON BOARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
I RECOGNIZE THAT THE TIME IS RIGHT.
THE FUNDING EXISTS IN THE TURS, AND IT'S KIND OF NOW OR NEVER.
BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE REACHING A SHORTFALL ON PROPERTY TAX, AND WE MAY HAVE TO SEND THE VOTERS A TAX ELECTION TO ASK THEM TO APPROVE A HIGHER TAX RATE.
AND IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND PROPERTY TAX, YOU'VE SEEN REPRESENTATIVE BUMGARNER'S POST.
YOU KNOW, I HAD TO GO DOWN THERE AND TESTIFY WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT LOWERING THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE TO 2.5%, AND I SAW THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM AUSTIN GET GRILLED BECAUSE THEY HAD A VOTER ELECTION, AND THEY WENT UP TO, YOU KNOW, 12 OR 18 OR 20%, WHATEVER IT WAS.
THE LEGISLATURE WASN'T VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
SO IF I WERE A RESIDENT AND WE SENT A VOTER TO THE RESIDENTS, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THIS TAX ELECTION, AND I SAID, YOU GUYS JUST SPENT $75 MILLION ON A NICE-TO-HAVE, A CULTURAL ARTS CENTER.
I WOULD THINK WE WERE OUT OF OUR MINDS.
IT'D BE LIKE MAXING OUT YOUR CREDIT CARDS AND THEN GETTING YOUR CAR REPOSSESSED.
SO I ALSO RECOGNIZE, THOUGH, THAT WE'RE ONLY TWO YEARS AWAY OR SO FROM A SIGNIFICANT SALES TAX INCREASE FROM MONARCH, FROM MAYBE COTTONWOOD, MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO IF WE CAN KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD JUST LONG ENOUGH TO LET THE SALES TAX COME IN, WE PROBABLY DON'T NEED A VATRE.
AND IF WE DON'T NEED A VATRE, THEN I THINK THAT WE CAN MOVE
[00:50:01]
FORWARD WITH THIS.SO I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, JOHN, IS SOME SORT OF COMMITMENT FROM STAFF, MAYBE FROM COUNCIL, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY BECAUSE IT'S A POLICY QUESTION, THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO THEN GO AND BEG FOR A TAX RATE INCREASE FROM THE SAME VOTERS WHO DIDN'T REALLY GET TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
AND IF WE CAN AVOID THAT, THEN I THINK THAT I'M ALL FOR MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT? SO I'LL TAKE THE FIRST STEP.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT WE CAN COME BACK AT A LATER DATE AND PUT EVERYTHING OUT THERE.
SO I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGE WITH THE VATRE, AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNINITIATED, THE VATRE IS V-A-T-R-E.
IT'S A VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE ELECTION.
WHEN SENATE BILL 2 WAS PASSED IN 2019, IN ESSENCE, IT WAS DRIVING EVERY MUNICIPALITY TO EVENTUALLY HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS.
AT A CERTAIN POINT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT REGARDLESS.
SO SUFFICE TO SAY IS THAT I THINK THAT'S A MORE KIND OF COMPLEX QUESTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME TIME TO STUDY UP AND GIVE SOME MODELS AND SOME DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO SEE WHAT THAT POTENTIALLY LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE IF YOU FOREGO THIS, IT GETS VERY CHALLENGING.
IF WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE DON'T DO A VATRE, IT'S JUST SIMPLY A MATTER OF CHOICES OF PRIORITY.
PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT THIS CONCEPT WAS ABOUT SERVICE LEVELS.
IT'S SUFFICE TO SAY, IF WE DON'T DO A VATRE, SERVICE LEVELS WILL HAVE TO DROP, AND WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT DROPS.
IT'S JUST AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THE THING I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT, AND I PROMISE I WON'T GET ON MY SOAPBOX ON THIS, THE SITUATION WITH A VATRE IS NOT A FUNCTION OF POOR POLICY DIRECTION, POOR MANAGEMENT, OR ANYTHING ELSE, IT'S A BYPRODUCT OF THE SYSTEM.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO PUSH EVERY MUNICIPALITY AT A CERTAIN POINT TO HAVE TO ENGAGE VOTERS TO EXTEND THEIR REVENUE OVER 3.5%.
SO EVERYBODY'S INEVITABLY GOING TO GET TO THAT POINT.
RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T PLAN ON DOING IT FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT MORE THAN LIKELY FISCAL YEAR 28, WE WOULD. SO IT'S OUR, OR THE, THE OR IS IS THAT WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND WE MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS AND WE OR THE TERS FUNDS THE SHORTFALL BY WINDING DOWN THE TERS. AND SO WHAT, AND THE REASON I WANT TO WANT MORE TIME IS SO I CAN MODEL AND PUT IT OUT TO YOU.
BUT THE THING THAT YOU GOT TO REMEMBER IS IS THAT ONCE YOU MOVE THAT STUFF OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND, YOU CAN'T MOVE IT BACK BECAUSE AT THAT, THAT POINT, IT'S GOING INTO ONGOING EXPENSES. AND, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT'S BAKED INTO OUR BUDGET MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE A DEAL WHERE WE CAN KIND OF STEP OUT AND STEP BACK IN.
IT'S LIKE IF YOU PULL A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DOLLARS OUT OF THERE, YOU'RE STUCK AT WHATEVER THAT LEVEL IS.
AND JOHN AND I STARTED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE BRINGING DOWN 20 PERCENT, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS. AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS TO STUDY THAT UP AND WE CAN BRING THAT AT A LATER MEETING AND SHOW YOU THE IMPACT IF WE TOOK DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO IT. IT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I THINK IT'S A VALID ONE. BUT IT'S ONE THAT I WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO VET BEFORE WE START BRINGING ACTUAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
BUT THE THING I JUST WANT TO BE UPFRONT ABOUT IS THAT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT TWO YEARS IS KIND OF THAT HORIZON WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME NEW BILL VALUE HITTING OUR TAX BASE AND POTENTIALLY SOME SALES TAX COMING IN. AND THAT'S JUST THAT LULL WE'RE GOING THROUGH FOR SURE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WITH A VATRE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND I'M RELUCTANT WITHOUT DOING SOME DEEPER ANALYSIS.
TO SAY WE CAN FOREGO SOMETHING.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT A FUTURE COUNCIL IN A BIND WHERE THEY'VE GOT TO MAKE SOME CRITICAL SERVICE CUTS BECAUSE OF A COMMITMENT TWO YEARS PRIOR.
SO JUST WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO STUDY IT, BUT YOUR POINT'S WELL TAKEN, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PUT TOGETHER.
SINCE WE NEED REALLY MORE OF AN ANALYSIS OF THAT, DO YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE WE SHOULD PUSH THIS WORK SESSION OUT A LITTLE BIT JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE WE NEED THAT TO GO FORWARD ON SOME OF THESE...
THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT, THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT PRICING, TOO.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT CONCURRENTLY BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE'VE GOT TO KNOW WHAT NUMBER WE'RE WORKING WITH.
SO WE NEED DIRECTION ON WHAT ARE WE APPROACHING BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT NUMBER, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR DOING THE REST OF THE STUFF.
I THINK WHAT BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHICH IS IN ESSENCE IS THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PROBABLY COME BACK AND DISCUSS FURTHER.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AFTER YOU GET THE PRESENTATION FROM OUR CONSULTANTS, YOU PROVIDE THEM THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY NEED TO GO AHEAD AND FINISH EVERYTHING UP AND START ROUNDING SOME THINGS OUT.
AND THEN FROM THERE, IF WE HAVE A DEFINITIVE NUMBER OR A DEFINITIVE APPROACH WE'RE TAKING, IT PUTS US IN A BETTER POSITION TO DO THE FINANCIAL WORK TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO.
[00:55:01]
THE OTHER THING WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED AT ALL IS OTHER FORMS OF REVENUE, THINGS LIKE NAMING RIGHTS, WHICH ARE VERY POPULAR NOW TO INVOLVE CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS AND GET SOME THINGS GOING.SO I LOOKED AT A FEW RESOURCES, AND IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE TO THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MAYBE A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IF WE HAD A 20-YEAR DEAL WITH A CORPORATION.
SO I MEAN, I KNOW IT DOESN'T GET US TO THE EXTRA 25 TO GET TO THE 100, BUT IT CAN BRING IN SOME STEADY REVENUE.
AND I THINK THAT PART OF THE SCOPE OF WORK IS A BUSINESS PLAN.
AND IN THAT BUSINESS PLAN, IT WILL GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE OPERATING MODEL LOOKS LIKE.
AND AGAIN, LANDING ON WHAT WE'RE DOING IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE KNOW THE OPERATIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED.
WE KNOW THE STAFFING THAT'S NECESSARY FOR IT AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THE REVENUE LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT. AND THEN ALSO WE COULD EXPLORE OTHER REVENUE SOURCES SUCH AS THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT CAN OFFSET TO LOWER THE BURDEN POTENTIALLY ON THE GENERAL FUND. AND SOME CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS AND THEN SOME ONGOING DONOR SEGMENTATION.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOME NUANCE ON WHAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY USE THE TERS FOR. I MEAN, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF KEEPING IT OPEN INDEFINITELY, BUT IT COULD BE UTILIZED TO MAKE UP THAT DELTA FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS AS OPERATOR.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN APPROACH IT. AND AGAIN, I KNOW THESE ARE SOME GREAT QUESTIONS AND WE ANTICIPATED THEM, BUT I THINK THAT NEEDS A LONGER RUNWAY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH. I THINK. THOSE ARE THE THINGS YOU ARE GOING TO NEED BEFORE YOU MAKE AN ULTIMATE DECISION MOVING FORWARD, AND WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS.
IF WE DO LAND ON A RANGE OF NUMBERS TONIGHT, I KNOW WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION, WE'RE NOT VOTING, BUT WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE IN EXTRA MONEY COMING IN? LIKE WHAT'S THE RUNWAY FOR, SAY, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO BRING YOU SOME MONEY? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. SO WE WOULD NEED IT AT LEAST SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT.
SO SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO 2020? YES, THE TIME THAT YOU ISSUE DEBT. SO THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO FACTOR THAT INTO YOUR FINANCIAL MODELING.
I'M GOOD, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THAT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO FACTOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT INTO A FINANCING PLAN, AND THEN YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO BASICALLY SAY, YES, WE'RE GOING TO PULL THIS OR YOU RUN THE RISK OF SAYING IF WE DON'T GET THIS, THEN WE WILL DRAW FROM OPERATING FUNDS.
SO AGAIN, WE WERE AT 10,000 FEET AND WE CAN SWOOP DOWN AND GET GROUND LEVEL FOR SURE.
AND WE'LL CERTAINLY TAKE THE FEEDBACK AND THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AND START WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. AND JOHN AND I HAVE ALREADY STARTED HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THEM.
WE'RE JUST NOT QUITE READY FOR PRIME TIME YET.
WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO VET THEM, BUT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE WHAT-IFS AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 27 AND SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR.
AGAIN, HOPEFULLY THIS IS HELPFUL TO EVERYBODY TO GET A SENSE CONCEPTUALLY ABOUT HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FACILITY.
AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK MICHAEL, YOU CAN COME ON UP.
AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR YOU GUYS, AND I THINK IT IS A PDF.
MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
I'M MICHAEL TINGLEY WITH BOROUGH ARCHITECTS.
AND WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF ADDITIONAL WORK IN TRYING TO REFINE AND DEFINE EXACTLY WHAT THIS PROJECT CAN BE FOR FLOWER MOUND SINCE THAT TIME.
AND WE'RE JUST HERE TO INFORM YOU ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, WHERE WE SIT IN THE PROCESS, SOME OPTIONS THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED TO HELP SHAPE AN ART CENTER THAT IS REALLY THE RIGHT ONE FOR FLOWER MOUND.
AND BEFORE I JUMP INTO MY PRESENTATION, I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PASSION THAT I HEARD FROM ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CAME UP AND TESTIFIED, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT SIGN OF, YOU KNOW, THE ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS PROJECT IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO EVERYONE, AND ALSO THEIR CONSISTENT SUPPORT FOR YOU AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'VE SHOWN TOWARDS THIS PROJECT IN YOUR TIME.
OKAY, SO WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION TO COVER HERE.
I'M GOING TO TRY AND GO THROUGH IT AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
WE'RE EASILY IN THE, YOU KNOW, 30 TO 40 MINUTE KIND OF RANGE HERE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS, SO JUST BE PATIENT.
I AM JOINED BY RICHARD MILLER WITH HAFER WELKER PRINCIPAL.
WE'RE TEAMED TOGETHER ON THIS PROJECT, AND ALSO KIMBERLY CORBETT-OATES WITH SHULER AND SHOOK.
THEY ARE OUR THEATER CONSULTANTS, AND I THINK...
DESIGNING AN ARTS CENTER, ESPECIALLY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, IS A LOT LIKE MAKING A SUPER COMPLICATED MACHINE.
AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT FIGURE OUT HOW WE MAKE ALL THE FUNCTIONAL THINGS AND ALL THOSE
[01:00:01]
REALLY TECHNICAL SYSTEMS WORK AND HOW THIS ALL COMES TOGETHER TO REALLY SERVE MAKING GREAT ART IN THE BUILDING.SO, JUST HIGH LEVEL, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A GREAT ART CENTER? THESE ARE SUPER COMPLICATED BUILDINGS, AMONG THE MOST COMPLICATED BUILDINGS YOU CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SURPRISES THAT WE HAD EARLY ON WHEN WE WERE MEETING WITH OUR STEERING COMMITTEE IS THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCE SPACES, AND THEY LOOKED AT THIS CHART HERE THAT SHOWED ALL THE SPACES AROUND THE PERFORMANCE SPACES AND THE VISUAL ART SPACES, AND THEY SAY, WAIT A MINUTE.
ARE YOU TELLING ME IF I WANT TO BUILD ONE OF THESE THAT I HAVE TO BUILD ALL THE REST OF THIS STUFF? AND WE'RE LIKE, YES, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THESE BUILDINGS REALLY WORK.
SO THEY TEND TO BE BIGGER THAN PEOPLE EXPECT THEM TO BE.
THEY ALSO HAVE SYSTEMS IN THEM THAT ARE HIGHLY COMPLICATED AND REALLY TECHNICAL THAT DON'T EXIST IN ANY OTHER BUILDING TYPE.
AND THEY TAKE A LOT OF SPACE AND THEY TAKE A LOT OF MONEY.
THERE WILL BE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON THESE SYSTEMS IN THIS BUILDING.
IN ORDER TO MAKE A REALLY GREAT PERFORMING ART SPACE AND A BUILDING THAT REALLY FUNCTIONS THIS WAY, THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLICATED ACOUSTICAL THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED.
THAT MAKES SYSTEMS THAT INVOLVE, THAT MAKES SPECIALIZED THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO FOR ALL YOUR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS TO MAKE THEM AS QUIET AS THEY CAN POSSIBLY BE.
IT'S THE SHAPING EVERY SINGLE SPACE INSIDE THAT ROOM TO DELIVER THE SOUND TO EVERY SEAT EQUALLY AND EVENLY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLICATED THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SECTION AT THE TOP OF, THIS IS A SECTION OF THE CONCERT HALL WE DESIGNED FOR FLOWER MOUND.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN SEE IN YELLOW IS WHAT THE AUDIENCE SEES WHEN THEY WALK INTO THE ROOM.
EVERYTHING AROUND THAT IN GRAY IS ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT IT TAKES TO MAKE WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THAT ROOM WORK THE WAY IT DOES.
YOU ALSO HAVE OTHER COMPLICATED THINGS LIKE LONG SPAN STRUCTURE BECAUSE YOU HAVE REALLY BIG VOLUMES THAT TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE, INCREASE FOUNDATION AND STRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS, AND MAKE THE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS REALLY QUIET. YOU'VE GOT OVERSIZED MECHANICAL ROOMS, REALLY BIG DUCTWORK BECAUSE THE AIR IS GOING TO MOVE REALLY SLOW SO YOU CAN'T HEAR THAT WHISTLE OF THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM, ALL YOU CAN HEAR IS THE SOUND OF THE PERFORMER ON THE STAGE, AND TO ACCOMMODATE ALL OF YOUR AUDIENCES YOU NEED OVERSIZED OTHER SUPPORT SPACES. YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH A THREE-STALL BATHROOM IN A 700-SEAT THEATER.
OKAY, I AM GOING TO LET RICHARD MILLER WALK THROUGH THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS PRESENTATION. IT IS GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE BACKGROUND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING UP TO THIS POINT.
THANK YOU, MICHAEL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL. SO, THE PLANNING PROCESS BEGAN WITH A MARKET ANALYSIS, WHICH ALSO LED TO PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THAT WAS PROVIDED BY WEBB MANAGEMENT. WEBB MANAGEMENT LOOKED AT, CONDUCTED OVER 32 INTERVIEWS WITH POTENTIAL USERS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH WERE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS.
AND HE REVIEWED, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS DUNCAN WEBB.
DUNCAN REVIEWED THE CURRENT AND PLANNED ARTS FACILITIES IN THE AREA.
AND REVIEWED ALSO BROADER FORCES AND TRENDS IN THE LIVE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTORS.
I ALSO LOOKED AT CURRENT MARKET SCAN AND ASSESSMENT AND BUILDING PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE MARKET DATA ANALYSIS AND LOOK AT A 30-MINUTE DRIVE FROM FLOWER MOUND, IN SUMMARY, THE MARKET AREA POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW AT A STEADY RATE, AND THERE ARE HIGH LEVELS OF EDUCATION ATTAINMENT AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE MARKET AREA, WELL ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGES.
AND THESE KEY INDICATORS OF STRONG ARTS ENGAGEMENT AND TICKET BUYER POTENTIAL, WHICH IS GREAT.
THE DRIVE TIME IN THE REGION HAS A DIVERSE POPULATION, INCLUDING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ASIAN AND HISPANIC LATIN RESIDENTS.
AND THERE ARE STRONG INDICATORS FOR ACTIVE AND PASSIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS, PARTICULARLY HERE IN FLOWER MOUND.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL FACILITIES, THERE ARE GAPS IN QUALITY VENUES IN THAT 500 TO 800 SEAT RANGE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THAT RED DASHED OVAL AREA.
THERE ARE FEWER VENUES AVAILABLE WITH OVER 500 SEATS AND FEW QUALITY OUTDOOR VENUES.
SO THE LACK OF VENUES WITH BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE AREAS, SPACES AT THE SAME ADDRESS.
OTHER REVENUE AND USE OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WEDDINGS, RECEPTIONS, SOCIAL EVENTS.
ALSO TOURING SHOWS, EDUCATIONAL USES.
[01:05:01]
IN THE REGION FOR HOSTING LARGE EVENTS, WHICH IS GREAT FOR...FINDING THAT NICHE SIZE AND DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE DIVERSE USES.
SO PART OF THAT ANALYSIS INCLUDED RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WHAT'S NEEDED IS A MAIN THEATER WITH A CAPACITY BETWEEN 500 AND 800 SEATS AND A SECOND SMALLER FLEXIBLE THEATER WITH A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 150 SEATS.
FLEXIBLE EVENT AND REHEARSAL SPACE IS ALSO NECESSARY WITH ADDITIONAL CLASS, MEETING, AND GALLERY SPACES.
AND THEN AN ADJACENT OUTDOOR SPACE WITH PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE PRE-DESIGN PROCESS, WE'LL START OFF WITH WORKING WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND OTHERS IN THE OVERVIEW.
WE'VE HAD FOUR WORK SESSIONS WITH STEERING COMMITTEES TO DATE.
WE'VE HAD COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT SESSIONS.
WE'VE HAD A TOWN COUNCIL BRIEFING.
WE ALSO HAD A PRESENTATION TO THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION.
WE HAVE TONIGHT'S TOWN COUNCIL PRESENTATION AND WE HAVE ONE FUTURE SESSION DATE TO BE DETERMINED.
NOW WE ALSO DID PRACTICE OR BENCHMARKING TOURS AND LOOKED AT BEST PRACTICES.
WE DID TOUR THREE FACILITIES IN ARIZONA, WHICH INCLUDED THE TEMPE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, THE MESA ARTS CENTER, AND THE SCOTTSDALE ARTS CENTER.
WE ALSO INCLUDED THREE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES HERE IN NORTH TEXAS WITH THE MOODY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN DALLAS.
THE MARSHALL FAMILY CENTER AT GREENHILL SCHOOL AND THE ROBINSON ARTS CENTER IN PLANO.
THERE IS A SHARED COMMITMENT FOR HIGH-QUALITY ARTS CENTERS IN AN ICONIC DESTINATION.
AND THERE'S RECOGNITION OF THE COMPLEXITY OF A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
AND THERE'S IMPORTANCE INVOLVING SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF RUNNING AN ARTS CENTER.
DURING DESIGN TO SHAPE A PROJECT THAT WORKS MOST EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
SO THE BASIC PROGRAM FOR FLOWER MOUNTAIN ARTS CENTER MUST DISTINGUISH ITSELF FROM OTHER REGIONAL ARTS CENTERS.
LARGER MAIN THEATER, ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY, AND QUALITY FINISHES AND SYSTEMS TO CREATE RENTAL INTEREST AND ATTRACT HIGHER RATES.
ARTS CENTERS ARE RARELY SELF-SUPPORTING AND OFTEN NEED ONGOING SUBSIDIES.
THE TENSION AROUND BALANCING THE DESIRES FOR THE BUILDING PROGRAM AND SITE DEVELOPMENT EXISTS, AND THE ORIGINAL BUDGET IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO BUILD THE IDEAL PROGRAM, REQUIRING PRIORITIZATION AND HARD CHOICES.
FULL REALIZATION OF THE ULTIMATE PROJECT MAY REQUIRE PHASING.
WE ALSO HAD GOT A LOT OF GREAT COMMUNITY INPUT IN THIS ROOM.
WE HAD STRONG FROM THE THEATER AND DANCE.
STAKEHOLDERS AND THERE WERE FOUR DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
THERE WAS STRONG INTEREST IN A PROSCENIUM FORM THEATER THAT DIFFERENTIATED FLOWER MOUND FROM COPPELL OR LOUISVILLE.
THERE WAS ALSO INTEREST IN A FLEXIBLE FORM THAT CAN SUPPORT EXPERIMENTAL AND IMMERSIVE CONFIGURATIONS WITH ADAPTABLE SEATING AND STAGING AND A DESIRE FOR LARGER THEATER SEATING CAPACITY IN THE RANGE OF 750 SEATS AND IN WANTING A LOBBY IN EVENT SPACE THAT'S ELEGANT.
AND INVITING FOR SOCIAL EVENTS, BUSINESS RECEPTIONS, GALAS, EXAMPLE.
UNSURE ABOUT OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE AREAS WAS ALSO IN QUESTION AND HOW OFTEN IT WILL BE USED IN NORTH TEXAS CLIMATE AND WHAT THOSE NOISE CONCERNS MIGHT BE WAS ALSO RAISED.
NOW WITH THE VISUAL ARTS GROUP, THEY WANT A FLEXIBLE, DEDICATED ART GALLERY THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THEY'VE SEEN AT LOUISVILLE GRAND.
ALSO THE NEED FOR DIFFUSED NATURAL LIGHT, FOR THE ABILITY TO BLACKEN SPACE FOR ALTERNATIVE INSTALLATIONS, AND A LOBBY AS AN EVENT-CAPABLE SPACE TO HOST OPENING EVENTS, RECEPTIONS, AND TO SERVE AS OVERFLOW FOR LARGER EXHIBITIONS.
AND THERE WAS ALSO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DEDICATED STORAGE FOR THAT GALLERY.
AND INTERESTED IN AN OUTDOOR ARTS PLAZA MORE THAN AN AMPHITHEATER.
A PLACE THAT SUPPORTS ART DISPLAY AND INTEGRATES ARTWORK WAS OF INTEREST.
WITH THE MUSIC GROUP, THERE'S STRONG INTEREST IN LARGER AUDIENCE CAPACITY, AROUND 800 SEATS.
THEY RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ACOUSTIC QUALITY TO ACCOMMODATE A FULL RANGE FROM ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR TO AMPLIFIED AND SUITABLE STAGE SIZE APPROPRIATE FOR VOLUME AND ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENTS.
THEY FELT THAT AN ORCHESTRA PIT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALLOW LIVE MUSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ACCOMPANIMENTS FOR DANCE, BALLET, AND MUSICAL THEATER.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP INPUT WANTED TO INCORPORATE
[01:10:01]
FLEXIBLE PERFORMANCE SPACES THAT CAN ADAPT FOR MULTIPLE USES.REHEARSAL, SOCIAL SPACES, CLASSES, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THE VENUE SHOULD SERVE AS BOTH AN ART CENTER AND A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT'S ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NOT JUST ON PERFORMANCE NIGHTS.
BUT THERE'S A DESIRE FOR AN ICONIC LANDMARK THAT EXPRESSES FLOWER MOUND'S IDENTITY WITH WARM AND WELCOMING SPACES.
THEY ALSO WANTED A UNIQUE AND DISTINCTIVE SPACE WITH CHARACTER AND AMENITIES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER REGIONAL ART CENTERS.
NOT A COOKIE CUTTER ART CENTER.
AND THERE'S STRONG SUPPORT FOR VISUAL ART STUDIOS AND TEACHING SPACES FOR CLASSES AND CLUBS AND A DESIRE FOR USABLE ACTIVE OUTDOOR SPACES SUCH AS ART EXHIBITS, CONCERTS, AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN A DESTINATION NOT JUST FOR ATTENDING THE ARTS INSIDE THE BUILDING, BUT FOR THE RIVERWALK AS WELL, ONE THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE REGION AND NOT JUST FLOWER MOUND.
SO TOGETHER, COLLECTIVELY, WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE DESIGN TEAM, WE CRAFTED THIS MISSION.
AND IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, I'LL READ IT QUICKLY.
THE FLOWER MOUND ARTS CENTER WILL BE AN ICONIC EXPRESSION OF COMMUNITY IDENTITY, A WARM, WELCOMING DESTINATION THAT CELEBRATES CREATIVITY, CONNECTION, AND THE SURROUNDING NATURAL BEAUTY.
WITH ART WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE, IT WILL PROVIDE A DESTINATION THAT INSPIRES THE CREATIVITY OF RESIDENTS.
AND VISITORS ALIKE, WHILE ENERGIZING THE RIVERWALK AND STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY'S SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND ECONOMIC VITALITY.
OKAY, SO TAKING ALL OF THAT INPUT AND INFORMATION THAT WE GATHERED, WE DID SOME WORK TO CRAFT A PROGRAM THAT REPRESENTED EVERYTHING THAT WE HEARD THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POINT FOR CONSIDERING WHAT COULD BE IN THE ART CENTER. AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CRAFT THAT PROGRAM SO THAT WE COULD GIVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO OUR COST ESTIMATOR SO HE WASN'T JUST PUTTING NUMBERS ON THIS KIND OF FEELS LIKE ABOUT THIS MUCH MONEY TO ME, BUT HE COULD REALLY BE DOING SOME TAKEOFFS COMPARING TO OTHER FACILITIES THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF NATIONALLY AND COMING UP WITH NUMBERS THAT REALLY REFLECTED THE PROGRAM THAT WAS THIS TO IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A SERIES OF COMPONENTS. A MAIN THEATER, WE STARTED WITH 650 SEATS.
THAT WAS A GOOD STAKE IN THE GROUND TO SEE WHERE WE LANDED. A FLEXIBLE STUDIO THEATER WITH ABOUT 150 SEATS IN IT. A LARGE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM THAT COULD SERVE FOR SOCIAL EVENTS, CORPORATE EVENTS, CLASSES, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING THAT HAD A LOT OF POTENTIAL TO BE USED FOR A VARIETY OF USES. BOTH A DEDICATED ART GALLERY AND CLASSROOMS, PARTICULARLY FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE THAT YOU NEED TO RUN A FACILITY LIKE THIS, LOBBY AND PATRON AMENITIES, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE A CATERING KITCHEN SO THAT YOU CAN HOST FOOD SERVICE IN THE BUILDING, AND ALL OF THE BACK OF HOUSE SUPPORT SPACES.
SO JUST TRANSLATING THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO SPECIFICS, THE 650-SEAT THEATER WOULD INCLUDE A BALCONY, IT WOULD INCLUDE AN ORCHESTRA PIT.
IT WOULD NOT HAVE A FULL FLY TOWER, BUT IT WOULD HAVE A 50-FOOT FLY TOWER HIGH ENOUGH TO ALLOW YOU TO FLY SET, FLY ELEMENTS MORE THAN EITHER LOUISVILLE OR CAPEL HAVE, BUT MAYBE NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT THE MOODY CENTER DOWNTOWN HAS. SO YOU CAN SEE IT HERE IN SECTION. WE'VE STARTED DEVELOPING STRATEGIES FOR HOW THE REFLECTORS AND THE CATWALKS AND THE GRIDIRON AND ALL THE SYSTEMS WOULD WORK.
THIS WAS TO GIVE A STARTING POINT FOR A COST ESTIMATOR TO PUT SOME LITERAL NUMBERS ON WHAT THE SYSTEMS WOULD BE IN THIS BUILDING.
WE TALKED ABOUT CREATING SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY SO IT COULD BE USED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
IT'S NOT JUST ALWAYS FIXED SEATS FACING THE STAGE, BUT THERE WAS SOME FLEXIBILITY TO USE IT IN A CABARET STYLE OR FLATTEN OUT THE FLOOR TO USE IT FOR A BIG BANQUET EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. A FACILITY THAT WE DID IN FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, THEY DO A BIG WINE EVENT ON THE STAGE WITH A SEATED DINNER ONCE A YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER. SO THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE THESE FACILITIES AND INVITE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THAT SORT OF BACKSTAGE OR ONSTAGE EXPERIENCE.
WE LOOKED AT TWO FACILITIES THAT WE HAD TOURED OR HAD SHOWN IMAGES TO WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF FINISH THAT FELT REALLY ELEGANT. SO WE GAVE THESE IMAGES
[01:15:01]
TO OUR COST ESTIMATOR, SAY WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S GOT HIGHER FINISHES, WOOD ON THE INTERIOR REALLY FEELS LIKE A HIGH-END SPACE, SOMEPLACE SPECIAL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO.FOR THE FLEXIBLE STUDIO THEATER, WE'RE LOOKING AT RETRACTABLE SEATING THAT CAN TURN THIS FROM A FLAT FLOOR INTO A RAKE SITUATION, SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY CHANGE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE PERFORMERS IN THE ROOM, BUT COULD ALSO HAVE EVERYTHING CLEARED OUT AND USED FOR A BIG SOCIAL EXPERIENCE.
WE WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS SPACE IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS SO WE CAN KEEP, YOU CAN KEEP IT BUSY AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, KEEP IT ACTIVE, AND KEEP RENTAL RATES COMING IN. WE LOOKED AGAIN AT THIS SPACE IN SECTION TO LAY OUT THE TECHNICAL LAYOUTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT CREATING A SPACE THAT WOULD HAVE WINDOWS IN IT SO IT HAS NATURAL LIGHT INTO IT. IT'S NOT JUST A BLACK BOX. IT FEELS A LITTLE DRESSIER. AGAIN, MAKES IT MORE CAPABLE OF BEING USED FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS YOU COULD DO, A CHAMBER MUSIC RECITAL IN HERE, YOU COULD DO A SOCIAL EVENT IN HERE, YOU COULD DO A SMALL DANCE RECITAL IN HERE, A WHOLE HOST OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO, AGAIN, MAKE IT A REALLY USABLE SPACE FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS.
THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM IS GOING TO BE A FLAT FLOOR SPACE.
AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE NOT LIKE A TECHNICAL SPACE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT A SPACE THAT'S DRESSIER SO IT CAN BE USED FOR REHEARSALS, IT CAN BE USED FOR SOCIAL EVENTS, IT HAS DAYLIGHT INTO IT AND SOME TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, BUT JUST REALLY SIMPLE.
THE GALLERY, WE HAVE SOME GALLERY EXAMPLES THAT WE LOOKED AT. WE TOURED THE LOUISVILLE GALLERY. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE IMAGE THAT'S ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE. THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IS AN IMAGE OF A GALLERY AT THE PLANO ARTS CENTER THAT IS A PROJECT THAT WE DID LOCALLY. SO WE USED THOSE AS EXAMPLES.
AND THEN THE ARTS CLASSROOMS, LOOKING AT FLEXIBLE SPACES AGAIN, GREAT NATURAL LIGHT, MAYBE ROLL UP DOORS THAT CAN ALLOW THAT SPACE TO SPILL OUTDOORS AND HAS THE SORT OF SET UP TO SUPPORT ART MAKING IN THOSE SPACES.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES DON'T HAVE TO GO TOO DEEP INTO THAT. THE LOBBY AND PATRON AREAS, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR HIGHER LEVEL OF FINISHES, A SPACE OPEN AND FLEXIBLE SO IT CAN BE USED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS FOR EVENTS AND OTHER THINGS AND THEN ALL THE BACK HOUSE SUPPORT SPACES.
SO ALL OF THIS INFORMATION ALONG WITH DIAGRAMS THAT SET UP, WE HAVE DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE FINISHES AND THE SYSTEMS WILL BE, ALL THAT WENT TO OUR COST ESTIMATOR.
WE ALSO DEVELOPED A STRATEGY ABOUT HOW THE SITE WOULD BE DEVELOPED SO THAT WE COULD PUT NUMBERS ON THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME KEY THINGS LIKE HOW DO WE PAY FOR EXTENDING THE RIVERWALK FROM THE END OF WHERE IT ENDS TODAY WHERE THE RETAIL STUFF IS ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTH.
WHAT ARE WE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF THE SUN ANGLES AND WHAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AND PROTECT FROM WHAT'S INDOORS? THAT'S A BIG PIECE FOR VISUAL ARTS.
IT'S A BIG PIECE FOR YOUR LOBBY AND OTHER SPACES.
THERE'S A WATER WALL THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS ON THE RIVER WALK.
THAT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL AMENITY.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE AND CAPTURE THAT AS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF COMING TO THE SITE.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE ICONIC THANK YOU.
VISUAL THING THAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU COME TO CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, SO THAT THIS THING HAS A REAL KIND OF PRESENCE THAT IS EASY FOR PEOPLE TO SEE BUT ALSO IS SOMETHING THAT BECOMES AN ICON THAT HELPS CEMENT IDENTITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS NOT A DESIGN SO MUCH AS IT'S A REPRESENTATIVE FOOTPRINT ABOUT HOW THE BUILDING WOULD LAY OUT ON THE SITE.
WE DEVELOPED THIS IN PART BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO START THINKING ABOUT WHERE SERVICE WAS COMING IN AND WHERE THE LOBBY WOULD BE AND HOW IT WOULD RELATE TO THE RIVERWALK.
AGAIN, ALL INFORMATION THAT WE FED TO OUR COST ESTIMATOR TO HELP THEM COME UP WITH THE RIGHT COSTING.
OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT DEVELOPED A VISION FOR HOW THE SITE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED AND WHAT THE AMENITIES WOULD BE IN TERMS OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT SO THAT THIS IS A PLACE THAT CAN HOST EVENTS EVEN IF THE BUILDING IS CLOSED.
THIS IS A PLACE THAT PEOPLE CAN COME TO AND BRING THEIR CHILDREN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.
THEY CAN COME TO FOR OUTDOOR ART CLASSES.
THEY CAN COME AND EXPERIENCE ART INSTALLED ON THE SITE.
THE SITE, AS WE DID SOME TOURING OF ART CENTERS, BUT WE ALSO DID SITE TOURING OF OUTDOOR SORT OF PARKS AND OTHER KIND OF SPACES IN THE REGION TO START TO LOOK AT HOW THEY COULD BE DEVELOPED TO BE REALLY USEFUL.
OF ALL THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE HOSTED ON THE SITE, THE SCALE OF WHAT THOSE ACTIVITIES CAN HOST, SO THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE AN ART FESTIVAL OR A FARMER'S MARKET
[01:20:01]
OR A CRAFT FAIR OR AN OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE OR AN OUTDOOR RECEPTION OR AN OUTDOOR BANQUET.THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN BE HOSTED ON THE SITE, AND ALL OF THOSE BECOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR REVENUE GENERATION AS WELL AS WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE BUILDING AND FOR ACTIVATION ON THE SITE.
WE SCALED UP WHAT THE POTENTIAL REVENUE GENERATION FOR THESE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES COULD BE, AND WE'LL START DEVELOPING A PROGRAM OF HOW OFTEN THESE THINGS COULD OCCUR ON THE SITE, AND BUILD THAT INTO THE BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL MODEL.
WE TOOK ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE JUST SHARED WITH YOU, AS WELL AS SOME OPTIONS FOR THE PROJECT, AND WE SHARED ALL THIS WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND WHAT WE HEARD IN RESPONSE TO THEM, AND YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT IN THEIR TESTIMONY TONIGHT, STRONG ALIGNMENT AND SUPPORT FOR A LARGER THEATER.
650 SEATS, I WOULD SAY, WOULD BE THE MINIMUM SIZE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
A BUILDING THAT WAS FLEXIBLE AND MULTI-USE AND COULD ACCOMMODATE A WHOLE VARIETY OF USES.
REAL STRONG SUPPORT FOR A DEDICATED ART GALLERY.
NOT NECESSARILY UNIFORM SUPPORT, BUT A FAIRLY CONSISTENT LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR A SECOND PERFORMANCE SPACE, FLEXIBLE STUDIO SPACE, LOBBY AND AMENITIES RELATED TO THAT, AND THE DESIRE TO COME UP WITH A FUNDING STRATEGY THAT COULD STRETCH THE BUDGET BEYOND THE $75 MILLION THAT JAMES WAS SORT OF DESCRIBING AS WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE REASONABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU COULD EXPECT TO GENERATE FROM TERS IN AN APPROPRIATE TIME FRAME.
THERE WAS A LITTLE LESS CONSENSUS AROUND THE IDEA OF CLASSROOMS, AROUND WHAT THE EXTENT OF THE OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT AND SPACES WOULD BE, MAYBE PARTICULARLY AROUND THE IDEA OF OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE, AND LESS AGREEMENT ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD BE GOING FOR THE BEST PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THE IDEAL THAT WE ORIGINALLY SHARED WITH YOU OR SOMETHING THAT FALLS WITHIN THE FUNDING LIMITATIONS AS OUTLINED BY YOUR CITY MANAGER.
THIS TABLE KIND OF GIVES YOU A SENSE.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO CALL OUT PEOPLE FOR EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE SUPPORTING, BUT IT IS THE SORT OF RANGE OF SUPPORT THAT WE HEARD FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL AND WHERE THEY FELL ON THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.
THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
OUR ASPIRATIONAL PROGRAM, GIVEN THE QUALITY LEVEL THAT WAS...
DISCUSSED AND THE EXAMPLES THAT WE SHARED WITH OUR COST ESTIMATOR, WE'RE COMING IN JUST NORTH OF $100 MILLION TO SEE EVERYTHING.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CATEGORIES HERE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LESS CLEAR TO YOU.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS DIAGRAM HERE, THE PROGRAM, ALL THESE SQUARES REPRESENT THE USABLE SPACE THAT ARE INSIDE OF A ROOM.
DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CORRIDORS, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE THICKNESS OF THE WALLS, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE STRUCTURE, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE BATHROOMS, DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL THE MECHANICAL SPACE.
WE DO A MULTIPLIER FACTOR TO ACCOMMODATE FOR ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND IT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT FOR PERFORMING ARTS FACILITIES, ARTS CENTERS EVERYWHERE.
THEY RUN BETWEEN 40 AND 45 PERCENT OF WHATEVER THE DEFINED USABLE SPACE IN THE BUILDING IS, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT IT TAKES TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES IN THE GROSSING, AND I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER ON THIS LIST.
MECHANICAL REPRESENTS ABOUT 13% OF THAT, OF 13% OF THE BUILDING.
STRUCTURE, WHICH ARE WALL THICKNESSES, COLUMNS, ALL THAT STUFF REPRESENTS ABOUT 12% OF THE BUILDING.
AND CIRCULATION, WHICH IS ALL THE QUARTERS, REPRESENTS ABOUT 14% OF THE BUILDING.
AND THAT IS A HIGH NUMBER COMPARED TO A TYPICAL BUILDING, BUT IT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU ARE ACCOMMODATING LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY IN AN ART CENTER, YOU TYPICALLY HAVE A WHOLE SET OF CIRCULATION THAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES AND A WHOLE SET OF CIRCULATION THAT HAPPENS FROM THE AUDIENCE POINT OF VIEW, AND THOSE TWO DON'T WANT TO OVERLAP.
SO YOU'VE ALMOST GOT A DUPLICATION OF CIRCULATION IN THESE BUILDINGS.
JUST TO SHOW YOU THESE NUMBERS IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT, WE BROKE THEM DOWN INTO COST PER SQUARE FOOT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAKE SQUARE FOOTAGE OUT OF ALL AREAS IN THE BUILDING AND JUST MULTIPLY IT TIMES THE
[01:25:03]
ABOUT $1,100 OR $1,050 SQUARE FOOT AVERAGE THAT THIS TURNS OUT TO.YOU ADD MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE OR YOU TAKE MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE OUT OF THE MAIN THEATER.
THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE BIGGEST SAVINGS.
THAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF THE BUILDING.
THE GROSSING FACTOR YOU CAN SEE IS PROBABLY THE CHEAPEST PART OF THE BUILDING BECAUSE IT'S MOSTLY STUFF, IT'S MOSTLY AIR, IT'S MOSTLY BACK OF HOUSE SPACES THAT DON'T HAVE HIGH LEVEL OF FINISHES, ETC.
BUT EVERY TIME YOU PUT MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE INTO ONE OF THE OTHER BUCKETS, THE GROSSING FACTOR GOES UP BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE YOU'VE GOT TO SUPPORT.
BEFORE I GO INTO EACH OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE DEVELOPED FOR HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRIM THE BUDGET FROM $100 MILLION TO $75 MILLION.
I WANT TO START OUT WITH THE SITE.
IN OUR INITIAL PROGRAM ESTIMATE FROM OUR COST ESTIMATOR, THEY CAME UP WITH A TOTAL OF $9.9 MILLION IS WHAT WE SHOULD ASSUME SPINNING ON THE SITE.
WE WORKED WITH OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND SAID, IF WE NEED TO TRIM THIS, HOW WOULD YOU DO IT? AND THEY PUT NUMBERS ON.
BASED ON THE PLAN THAT I HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I THINK THAT THEY CAME UP WITH STRATEGIES TO SIMPLIFY THE GRADING, STRATEGIES TO SIMPLIFY THE ARTS PLAZA, STRATEGIES TO SIMPLIFY THE EXTENSION OF THE RIVERWALK, ET CETERA.
SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE CARRYING IN THE SITE RIGHT NOW, I THINK REPRESENT DEVELOPING THE SITE TO A FULL LEVEL, BUT DON'T REPRESENT DEVELOPING THE SITE TO AN EXTRAVAGANT LEVEL OR MAYBE YOU THE FULL LEVEL THAT WE MIGHT ASPIRE TO.
IT WILL BE A LITTLE SIMPLER IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF THE FINISHES, IN TERMS OF THE SCALE OF THE LANDSCAPE ON OPENING DAY, ETC.
LANDSCAPE MIGHT HAVE TO GROW INTO ITSELF TO GET REAL SHADE AND REAL ROBUSTNESS, BUT IT WILL BE A FULLY DEVELOPED SITE.
MAYBE, PROBABLY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT IS GOING TO GET SCRUTINY HERE IS THE EVENT LAWN AND PERFORMANCE PLATFORM.
PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO NUMBERS IS THE ORIGINAL ASPIRATIONAL PROGRAM INCLUDED SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE WITH TECHNICAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS OVER THE PERFORMANCE PLATFORM TO ALLOW PLUG-AND-PLAY PERFORMANCES AND SHADE OVER PERFORMERS.
THE REDUCED PROGRAM HAS A STAGE.
IT DOES NOT HAVE ALL OF THE COMPONENTS FOR PLUG-AND-PLAY PERFORMANCE.
IT WILL HAVE DATA AND POWER TO IT.
PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO COME AND SET UP A TENT OR DO SOMETHING ELSE TO ALLOW THEM THAT TO BE USED FOR PERFORMANCE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE AT A MORE SIMPLE AND SORT OF CASUAL LEVEL.
OKAY, ALL OF THESE I WANT TO EMPHASIZE NONE OF THESE REPRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
THESE REPRESENT, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU PRIORITIZE, HERE WOULD BE A STRATEGY FOR HOW WE COULD REDUCE THE PROJECT DOWN TO FIT WITHIN YOUR BUDGET.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT I SHARE WITH YOU HAS A LINE ITEM UNDERNEATH THE TOTAL COST THAT SAYS REDUCE QUALITY EXPECTATIONS.
AND IN EVERY ONE OF THESE, WE'VE TAKEN A 5% FACTOR.
WE THINK THAT THAT CAN COME FROM.
TRIMMING SQUARE FOOTAGE FROM TRYING TO BE SUPER EFFICIENT WITH THE BUILDING FOR MAYBE DOING ONE NOTCH LESS QUALITY FINISHES WE THINK THAT'S ACHIEVABLE AND TO STILL CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND EXCITING AND FULFILL THE FLOWER MOUNTS VISION. EXACTLY WHAT WE WHAT WOULD WE DO TO ACHIEVE THAT? I CAN'T TELL YOU RIGHT NOW I CAN JUST TELL YOU THE DESIGN TEAM HAS CONFIDENCE THAT WE COULD WE COULD TAKE THAT OUT .
WITHOUT YOU, FEELING IT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT WAY. SO THE FIRST OPTION SAYS, WE REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE TWO THEATERS IN THE SPACE.
THOSE ARE THE TWO REALLY UNIQUE THINGS THAT CAN ONLY EXIST IN A REFORMING ARTS CENTER.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO A 500-SEAT THEATER WITH AN ORCHESTRA PIT.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FULL-ON FLEXIBLE THEATER AT 150 SEATS.
WE ARE GOING TO KEEP YOUR CLASSROOMS, BUT THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM IS GOING TO GO AWAY.
THE EVENTS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE PUT ON IN THERE HOPEFULLY CAN TAKE PLACE IN THE FLEX STUDIO.
IT'S A FLAT FLOOR ROOM, AND THE GALLERY IS GONE.
WE'VE SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY COULD BE DESIGNED IN A WAY TO SUPPORT CONTINUAL SORT OF EXHIBITS AND THINGS HAPPENING THERE.
IT DOES COMPROMISE TO SOME EXTENT THE SORT OF LEVEL
[01:30:01]
OF SUPPORT AND THE LEVEL OF KIND OF CONTROL AND SECURITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ART EXHIBIT.THE SECOND ONE SAYS, OKAY, WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE COMMUNITY USE, BROADER SORT OF SOCIAL.
THIS MAY BE THE OPTION THAT COULD GENERATE THE MOST CONSISTENT REVENUE.
YOU'VE GOT A SECOND FLAT FLOOR FLEXIBLE SPACE.
YOU'VE GOT A THEATER AT 500 SEATS.
IN THIS CASE, WE'VE SCALED THAT BACK ONE NOTCH FURTHER.
IT DOESN'T HAVE AN ORCHESTRA PIT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE GOT IN THE THEATER RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, THIS GETS YOU DOWN TO ABOUT $75 MILLION, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR CLASSROOMS, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR GALLERY.
AND AGAIN, YOU'RE BUILDING A SMALLER MAIN THEATER THAN MOST OF THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD SAY, AND THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION ASPIRES TO.
OKAY, THIS OPTION SAYS, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A MAIN THEATER.
WE ONLY GET ONE SHOT TO DO THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THE BEST BIG MAIN THEATER WE CAN.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT 600 SEATS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR MULTI-PURPOSE FLAT FLOOR SPACE.
MAYBE WE CAN OUTFIT THAT SO THAT IT CAN STILL SERVE FOR SOME SMALL PERFORMANCES.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DEDICATED CLASSROOM SPACE FOR THE VISUAL ARTS AND AGAIN WE'RE STILL USING THE LOBBY AS THE GALLERY ENVIRONMENT.
OKAY WE'VE GOT ANOTHER OPTION HERE.
THIS ONE SAYS ALL RIGHT WE'RE GOING TO GO FOR JUST THE PERFORMANCE SPACES.
WHICH MEANS NO GALLERY, NO CLASSROOMS, NO MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE.
IT ALLOWS US TO INCREASE THE SEAT COUNT IN THE MAIN THEATER FROM 500 TO 600 TO KEEP THE FLEX STUDIO AT 150 SEATS.
SO THIS MIGHT BE OPTIMIZING THE PERFORMING ARTS ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, OF THE SORT OF IDEAL PROGRAM.
OKAY, AFTER MEETING WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION, WE CREATED ANOTHER OPTION.
THIS PROBABLY IS NOT, I WOULD NOT SAY THIS IS WHAT THEY HAVE ENDORSED.
I WOULD SAY THIS WAS SOMETHING WE CRAFTED TO TRY AND REFLECT WHAT WE HEARD AS THEIR PRIORITIES.
WE'RE HAVING A 650-SEAT THEATER, THE BIGGEST THEATER, THE ONE THAT WE ORIGINALLY LISTED IN THE IDEAL SCENARIO.
WE'RE HAVING A DEDICATED GALLERY.
WE'VE GOT A FLEXIBLE MULTI-USE SPACE THAT CAN BE SUBDIVIDED AND WILL BE OUTFITTED SO IT CAN ALSO BE USED AS A TEACHING SPACE AS CLASSROOMS. SO THIS IS MAINTAINING THE VISUAL ARTS AND THE ARTS INSTRUCTION AS A CORE COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT, AND WE'RE SACRIFICING THAT SECOND FLEXIBLE STUDIO SPACE.
PROBABLY THE BIGGER CONSENSUS AMONG THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION WOULD BE, LET'S INCREASE THE BUDGET AND STRETCH OURSELVES TO DO MORE.
MAYBE WHAT COULD BE ACHIEVED FOR AN $85 MILLION BUDGET, IN WHICH CASE THE ONLY THING NOW THAT'S MISSING FROM THE PROGRAM IS THE MULTI-PURPOSE FLEXIBLE ROOM.
IDEALLY, I THINK PROBABLY THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MAIN THEATER BE CLOSER TO 700 SEATS, AND I'LL JUST SAY, ROUGH NUMBERS, EVERY 50 SEATS WE ADD TO THE THEATER TRANSLATES INTO ABOUT $3 MILLION ADDITIONAL COST FOR THE PROJECT.
SO IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO STRETCH, THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD AIM TOWARD.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE BEEN BASING ALL OF OUR PROGRAM OPTIONS AROUND THIS IDEA OF A $75 MILLION BUDGET.
AS ANN SUGGESTED, THERE ARE FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD AUGMENT THAT BUDGET WITHOUT DRAWING ON PUBLIC FUNDS.
THERE ARE CORPORATE NAMING OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE PEOPLE SPECULATING THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN GO ABOVE A $75 MILLION BUDGET, WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE RIGHT PROGRAM MIX, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE BUDGET IS THAT YOU'RE HAPPY WITH.
THIS IS ALSO SUPER HIGH LEVEL.
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE COST TO BUILD, WHAT THE COST TO OPERATE, AND WHAT THE REVENUE POTENTIAL IS WITH DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN THE PROJECT.
WE'VE HEARD THAT THE IDEA OF THIS FACILITY RUNNING WITH, YOU KNOW, NO SUBSIDY OR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY POSSIBLE IS A PRIORITY FOR SOME MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
SO THE THEATER IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPACE TO BUILD.
IT'S ALSO THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPACE TO OPERATE.
AND WHILE IT PROBABLY WILL BRING IN MORE REVENUE THAN ANY OTHER SPACE IN THE BUILDING, IT PROBABLY WILL NOT BRING IN ENOUGH REVENUE
[01:35:02]
TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING.AND THAT IS TRUE OF JUST ABOUT ANY THEATER ANYWHERE UNLESS YOU ARE A KIND OF FACILITY LIKE BASS HALL IN FORT WORTH THAT RUNS LIKE THE BIGGEST BROADWAY TOURING PRODUCTION THING.
THEY CAN KEEP THAT STAGE FULL ALL THE TIME, AND THEY CHARGE PREMIUM TICKET RATES, AND THEY SELL OUT ALMOST CONSISTENTLY.
THEY, ON A GOOD YEAR, BREAK EVEN.
MOST PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE PART OF THEIR MISSION IS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU DON'T SET TICKET RATES AT SOMETHING THAT YOUR COMMUNITY CAN'T OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY CAN'T AFFORD, AND YOU DON'T FREEZE OUT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAYBE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE RENTAL RATE THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO RUN THE THEATER. SO THERE'S A SIDE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE OFTEN ABOUT HOW YOU'RE SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE IN THAT.
THE FLEX STUDIO IS PROBABLY THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE SPACE.
THE FLEXIBILITY THEATER STUDIO IS THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE SPACE TO BUILD IN THE THEATER. IT'S SIMPLER.
IT'S GOT SIMPLER SYSTEMS. IT'S NOT AS SOPHISTICATED. IT'S A SMALLER ROOM. SO ITS OPERATIONAL COSTS ARE LOWER.
IF YOU PROGRAM IT RIGHT, IT CAN GENERATE A FAIR AMOUNT OF REVENUE. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE BALANCE ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO PAY REALLY INEXPENSIVE RENT AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN GET SOCIAL AND CORPORATE AND BUSINESS USERS INTO THAT SPACE THAT CAN PAY REALLY HIGH DOLLAR AND HELP SUBSIDIZE THE OTHER PEOPLE. SO I WOULD SAY THIS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A BREAK-EVEN SPACE IN THE BUILDING.
THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM, SIMILAR. CHEAPER SPACE TO BUILD, LESS EXPENSIVE SPACE TO OPERATE, CAN BRING IN SIGNIFICANT REVENUE. THE LOBBY IS A BIG EMPTY VOLUME.
IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF TECHNICAL SYSTEMS IN IT, SO IT'S AMONG THE LOWER SPACES IN TERMS OF COST OF BUILDING.
SIMPLE SYSTEMS, INEXPENSIVE TO OPERATE.
IF IT'S DESIGNED PROPERLY, YOU CAN USE IT AS A RENTAL SPACE FOR RECEPTIONS, EVENTS, EVEN SMALL PERFORMANCES.
THE GALLERY IS PROBABLY, AGAIN, NOT AN EXPENSIVE SPACE TO BUILD.
OPERATIONAL COST IS NOT HIGH, BUT IT'S NOT A SPACE THAT'S...
PROBABLY GOING TO GENERATE REVENUE.
SO ANOTHER OPTION THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED IF YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE COULD PHASE THIS EITHER IN TERMS OF HOW WE APPROACH THE DESIGN OR HOW THE BUILDING GETS EXECUTED.
WE COULD BUILD THE BIG EXPENSIVE SPACES IN PHASE ONE.
WE COULD BUILD THE SIMPLER LESS EXPENSIVE SPACES IN A SECOND PHASE.
THAT COULD EITHER BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF DESIGN STRATEGY THAT THEY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AS SOON AS FUNDRAISING ALLOWS THOSE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT.
THEY COULD BE BUILT AS A STANDALONE THING THAT'S CONNECTED WITH A BREEZEWAY OR SOMETHING TO THE BUILDING.
ONE OF THE POTENTIAL POSITIVES ABOUT THIS APPROACH IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE HAVING AN ART CLASS OR AN ART GALLERY OPENING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO OPEN UP AND TURN ON ALL THE SYSTEMS RUN THE ENTIRE ART CENTER.
YOU CAN RUN A SMALLER SIMPLER BUILDING AND REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS THAT WAY.
IT'S ALSO LIKELY THAT IF IT WAS BUILT AS A STANDALONE PHASE, THE SYSTEMS ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING IT ARE LESS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS BIG A GRAND BUILDING AND IT CAN BE BUILT FOR SIMPLER CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
OKAY, WE JUST THREW A TON OF INFORMATION AT YOU.
IT WAS GOOD INFORMATION, THOUGH.
OKAY, VERY THOROUGH, UH, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS FROM ALL .
OF US HAVING GOING IN ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. SO, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK PIECE BY PIECE AND GO OVER EACH SECTION. SURE. SO, THAT IT'S, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ALL OVER THE PLACE IF WE ALL THROW STUFF OUT.BUT THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW I'VE CALLED PEOPLE, I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE, THAT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DIRECTORS THAT DO PERFORMING ARTS, UM, AND SOME THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF BUILDING A CULTURAL ARTS CENTER.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WAS STRESSED MORE THAN ANYTHING IS WHAT IS OUR PROGRAMMING GOING TO BE, WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
BECAUSE WHAT, AND I'LL USE CAPEL AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN THEY BUILT THEIR CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT THE PROGRAMMING AS WELL AS THEY THOUGHT THEY SHOULD LATER ON
[01:40:01]
IN RETROSPECT.THEY, WHEN THEY DECIDE, WHEN THEY BUILT IT, BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, BUT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE WITH THE PROGRAMMING WHAT CAME ALONG WITH THAT.
SO WHEN THEY WANTED TO GET, THEIR SEATING IS 440. 440, YEP.
AND SO WHEN THEY WANTED TO GET SHOWS, THE CONTRACTS WITH THE PERFORMERS DIDN'T ALIGN WITH THE ART CENTER THAT THEY HAD.
SO IF THEY WANTED TO GET A BIG BROADWAY SHOW, THE PERFORMER HAD STIPULATIONS.
SO IT HAD TO BE A MINIMUM 700-SEAT CAPACITY, OR THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE CERTAIN STIPULATIONS THAT DIDN'T ALIGN WITH THAT LEVEL OF PRODUCTION, SO THEN THEY HAD TO GO WITH LIGHT BROADWAY, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF REQUIREMENTS. AND SO THAT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT, WHETHER NOT JUST THE SEATING BUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THERE. SO I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THEY RECOMMENDED, AND WHAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE RECOMMENDED IS THAT WE DO LIKE A BUSINESS CONSULTANT THAT HELPS US. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE A THEATER CONSULTANT THAT'S GOING TO HELP IN DIRECTING US.
BUT ALSO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO FOR THE RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH IF WE DO A PRODUCTION LIKE THAT, LIKE THE LIGHT BROADWAY TYPE OF SEATING, WHICH HAS A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF 700 SEATS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO BREAK EVEN. YOU'VE SAID THAT. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT AS WELL GOING THROUGH THIS. BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO ALIGN WITH IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE OUR EXTRA SPACE. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO START IS WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMMING ARE WE GOING TO DO BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MATTER, WE CAN LOOK AT THE SEATS AND SAY 500, 600, BUT THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE PRODUCTIONS THAT WE WANT IN THAT FACILITY. SO I DO THINK WE NEED TO START THERE.
YOU ARE ASKING REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS. CAPEL, THERE ARE LIKE A LOT OF COMPLICATIONS IN THIS. SO CAPEL ALSO, WHEN SOMETHING TOURING, TOURING PRODUCT IS COMING TO THE DALLAS MARKET, THERE ARE A LOT OF ART CENTERS AND A LOT OF THEATERS THAT ARE COMPETING TO SIGN THAT SHOW.
WHEN YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST RICHARDSON WITH 1,200 SEATS, OR YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST MOODY WITH 800 SEATS, OR YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST BASS WITH 2,400 SEATS, THEY'RE GOING TO GO WITH WHO CAN PROMISE THEM A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
AND KIM'S GOT A LOT SHE COULD SAY ON THIS.
I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT...
ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CONSISTENTLY CAME OUT OF THE TOURS THAT WE TOOK IS THE VALUE OF HAVING AN OPERATOR, AN OPERATIONAL PERSON AS PART OF YOUR DESIGN TEAM WHEN YOU START DESIGNING.
SO THEY CAN HELP YOU MAKE SMART DECISIONS, BOTH ABOUT THE LAYOUT OF THE FACILITY, BUT ALSO ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF THINGS YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE INCLUDING IN THE FACILITY, DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF...
PERFORMANCES YOU ARE ANTICIPATING AND WHAT YOUR MARKET IS INTERESTED IN.
I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT BECAUSE THAT WE HAVE TO PUT THAT IN THE BUDGET AS WELL BECAUSE THAT YOU KNOW HAVING A DIRECTOR LIKE THAT IT'S GOING TO EASILY COST ANOTHER HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
NEXT STEP IN OUR PROCESS ACTUALLY.
DUNCAN WEBB, WHO DID THE MARKET ANALYSIS, DOES BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL PLANS.
HE WANTS TO KNOW BASICALLY WHAT THE PROGRAM IS THAT YOU WANT TO BUILD BECAUSE HE'LL BUILD AN OPERATIONAL MODEL ON THE BASIS OF THAT.
YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO START.
AND HE WILL PROJECT, DEPENDING ON THAT PROGRAM, WHAT HE THINKS YOU CAN ANTICIPATE IN TERMS OF USES AND TICKET PRICES.
AND OTHER ANCILLARY USES LIKE CORPORATE OR SOCIAL EVENTS, AND COME UP WITH A REVENUE STREAM THAT IS PROBABLY ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S GROUNDED IN REALITY.
AND HE'LL DO THAT BY ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE FACILITIES AROUND YOU, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DISTINGUISH YOURSELF IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE.
HE WILL ALSO BUILD A STAFFING MODEL.
[01:45:02]
OPERATIONAL COSTS OF THE FACILITY ARE LIKELY TO BE.SO YOU CAN DO A COMPARISON BETWEEN THAT REVENUE INCOME AND THE COST TO RUN THE FACILITY.
AND THEN THAT WILL GIVE YOU SOME IDEA ABOUT WHERE THIS THING LANDS.
BUT WE KIND OF NEED TO GIVE HIM A STARTING POINT TO BUILD THAT MODEL AROUND.
WE CAN'T SAY, CAN YOU BUILD A MODEL FOR THESE SIX DIFFERENT OPTIONS? IT'S JUST, THAT'S LIKE A TON OF WORK.
SO WE'RE KIND OF IN THE CHICKEN AND EGG SORT OF POINT RIGHT NOW, I THINK.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION ABOUT WHAT THE ART CENTER IS GOING TO BE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO SET A BASIC GENERAL IDEA, AND THEN HE CAN WORK TO BUILD A BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL MODEL THAT WILL HELP ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
IT'S ACTUALLY 750 SEATS IS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR SOME ARTISTS TO COME IN.
AND I THINK BRINGING UP CAPEL IS A GREAT POINT BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE, THE PROGRAMMING THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO DO AS THEY DID DESIGN GREW ONCE IT WAS OPEN, AND COUNCIL SAID, WE NEED TO BRING IN MORE REVENUE, WE NEED TO BRING IN TOURING ACTS, AND THAT HADN'T BEEN A CORE COMPONENT EARLIER IN THE DESIGN.
A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU SEE AT THIS POINT WITH WHAT THOSE FACILITIES ARE, THE SIZING OF THOSE FACILITIES, IS FROM THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN AND THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GROUPS.
SO THE PIECE THAT ISN'T IN THAT IS WE ALSO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BRING A TOURING ACT THAT'S AT THAT 750 SEAT LEVEL, AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND THIS IS REALLY A DECISION FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE OF WHAT THAT PROGRAMMING SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND THE BALANCE BETWEEN, I'LL CALL IT THE COMMUNITY MISSION AND THE REVENUE GENERATION, BECAUSE THAT CAN SHIFT IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
USING MOODY PERFORMANCE HALL IN DALLAS AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY DO VERY, VERY LITTLE TOURING PRODUCT.
THEIR MISSION IS TO BE A HOME IN THE ARTS DISTRICT FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS TO COME IN, FOR THE SMALL TO MEDIUM GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO GROW, BUILD AN AUDIENCE, AND THEN KEEP MOVING UP OR FIND THE RIGHT SIZE FOR THEM IN THAT SPACE.
AND THEIR OPERATIONAL MODEL IS BASED ON TIERING WITH PRIORITY TO LOW RENTS TO THE COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND HIGHER VALUES FOR THE CORPORATE GROUPS, BUT THEY ALSO BOOK THE LOW-RENTING GROUPS FIRST.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THE CITY HAS TO HELP FIND WAYS TO SUBSIDIZE THE OPERATION OF THAT.
SO WHAT DOES THEIR OPERATING MODEL LOOK LIKE, AND HOW MUCH IS A SUBSIDY? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I DO KNOW THE PEOPLE TO TALK TO TO GET THAT ANSWER.
CAN WE OPEN AND HAVE GENERAL COMMENTS NOW, OR DO YOU WANT TO GO SLIDE BY SLIDE? YEAH, YEAH, YOU CAN GO.
ITEM BY ITEM IF WE COULD YEAH WELL WHERE I MEAN WHERE IT STARTS WITH LIKE THE MAIN MAIN STAGE. START FROM THAT SLIDE AND GO AND THEN EVERYBODY CAN MAKE COMMENTS.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING. SURE, AND MARA IF I CAN MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT STAYING WITH THE IDEA OF TOURING ACTS THAT COME IN THERE THERE'S A FEW COMPONENTS ONCE WE START TALKING ABOUT THAT.
ONE IS WHAT THE MARKET CAN TOLERATE AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK I'VE HEARD FROM CAPEL IS THEY'VE TRIED TO BE VERY AMBITIOUS AND THEN FOUND THAT SOME SEASONS THEY NEED TO PULL BACK A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUDIENCE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMING CONSTANTLY ON SOME OF THOSE EVENTS.
SO THERE'S A BALANCE THERE TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL.
THE SEAT COUNT IS ALSO A BIG COMPONENT THAT THERE ARE SOME ACTS THAT REQUIRE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SEATS OR SUBSIDY TO KEEP YOUR TICKET RATES WHERE YOU WANT THEM.
BECAUSE REALLY WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DOLLARS COMING BACK THAT THEY'RE EARNING FOR THOSE KIND OF MORE COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS.
BUT CERTAINLY THINGS WE CAN PLAN FOR.
I THINK THE NICE THING ABOUT THE SEAT COUNT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, EVEN AT 600, BUT CERTAINLY 650, 700, IS IT'S A DIFFERENTIATOR IN THE MARKET.
THERE'S NOT ANOTHER VENUE, PARTICULARLY IN THIS AREA, THAT HAS THAT NUMBER OF SEATS.
SO THIS MAKES IT VERY ATTRACTIVE.
SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUSINESS MODEL, WHEN WE DO KIND OF NARROW IN ON WHAT WE'RE ALL THINKING, IS THERE OPTIONS OF VALUE, LIKE THE SEATING NUMBER? SO I THINK WE'RE AT, WHAT, 650? PART OF WHAT A BUSINESS MODEL WOULD LOOK AT IS THE COST OF TICKETS ON AVERAGE RELATIVE TO THE COST TO BRING IT IN AND THE COST TO OPERATE THE SHOW.
SO IT GIVES YOU THAT SCALABILITY.
WHAT'S THE VALUE OF THAT? ORCHESTRA PIT IS MORE ABOUT FUNCTION THAN RENTAL OPPORTUNITY.
SO ORCHESTRA PIT IS USED BY MUSICAL THEATER, IT'S USED BY BALLET, AND IT'S USED
[01:50:03]
BY OPERA GROUPS.YEAH, AND I GUESS I WAS MORE USING IT AS A REFERENCE. I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO NARROW IN ON WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS MODEL WE WANT AS A TOWN, BUT IF THERE'S CERTAIN OPTIONS AND ITEMS THAT WE COULD ADD TO THE OVERALL REVENUE MODEL TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS ON WHAT WE WANT TO ADD OR HOW WE WANT TO PHASE IT, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING.
THE OTHER THING TO RECOGNIZE, I WANT TO SAY THIS ALOUD AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOURING PRODUCTIONS.
IN COPPELL, THIS IS NOT A MARKET, IN MY OPINION, THAT WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING A SHOW LIKE LION KING OR WICKED AND THE BIG BROADWAY TOURS, BOTH FROM THE NUMBER OF SEATS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT ALSO JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT ELSE EXISTS IN THE GREATER DFW AREA.
WELL, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT'S A BROADWAY PRODUCTION.
BUT JUST FOR A LIGHT BROADWAY, WHICH IS STEPPING DOWN FROM THAT, THOSE REQUIRE 750 SEATS.
TYPICALLY, AN ARTIST TO COME IN AND DO THAT.
RIGHT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHOWS THAT ARE MORE IN THE LEVEL OF LIKE BLUE MAN GROUP AND KIND OF SMALLER PRODUCTIONS.
DO THEY REQUIRE A PIT? DO THOSE PRODUCTIONS REQUIRE A PIT? SOME OF THEM DO.
IF THEY DON'T REQUIRE A PIT, WHAT WOULD BE THE EQUAL NUMBER OF SEATS THAT YOU COULD ACCOMMODATE IN THE PIT THAT YOU COULD CONVERT TO TICKET SEATS? IS IT POSSIBLE? YES.
YES, WE ARE LOOKING AT AN OPTION, THE SECTION ACTUALLY WORKS PRETTY WELL, THAT FOR THE ORCHESTRA PIT, YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS AN ADJUSTABLE FLOOR AREA, SO THAT CAN ACT AS THIS ORCHESTRA PIT THAT'S DOWN AT A LOWER LEVEL FOR MUSICIANS.
IT CAN BE UP AT STAGE LEVEL AS AN EXTENDED STAGE TO BRING PERFORMERS CLOSER TO THE AUDIENCE, OR WE COULD SET IT AT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL WITH THE SEATING AND GET SOME MORE SEATS ON THERE.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY? IN THE ORDER OF...
25 TO 50, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOT THAT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS.
ONE OTHER THING I WOULD ALSO JUST WANT TO CAUTION IS THAT YOU CAN SIZE YOUR THEATER SO THAT YOU CAN HOST THOSE TOURING SHOWS, BUT THE TRADEOFF IS THAT YOU MAY HAVE A THEATER THAT IS BIGGER THAN 70% OF THE PRODUCTIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE IN THERE.
WHICH JUST MAKES IT HARDER TO MAKE THE THEATER WORK FINANCIALLY FOR COMMUNITY USERS AND LOCAL GROUPS, LOCAL USERS.
AND IT'S ALWAYS HARD FOR PERFORMERS TO PERFORM TO A HALF FULL ROOM.
SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE CAREFUL BALANCING HERE IS TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT DISTINGUISHES YOU IN THE MARKET AND ALLOWS YOU TO GET THINGS THAT NO PLACE ELSE AROUND YOU IS ABLE TO BOOK, BUT NOT SO LARGE THAT YOU'RE FEELING LIKE, WOW, IT COSTS SO MUCH TO TURN ON THE LIGHTS AND STAFF THIS THING UP THAT WE CAN'T REALLY, WE'RE JUST LOSING MONEY EVERY TIME WE LET ANY LOCAL USER IN THE SPACE.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DECIDE ON.
I MEAN, MAYBE NOT THIS MINUTE, BUT GET A GENERAL IDEA, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO SHAPE EVERYTHING.
AND WE HAVEN'T GONE THERE YET.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS BODY WANTS TO SUGGEST THE PROGRAMMING NECESSARILY.
I THINK I'D WANT TO PITCH THAT BACK TO MY CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION AND THE EXPERTS TO REALLY VET THAT BEFORE WE COME TO ANY CONCLUSIONS.
I ALSO JUST, IN GENERAL, WITHOUT GOING BIT BY BIT.
I'M SURPRISED ABOUT HOW MUCH EMPHASIS WILL BE PUT ON THE OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE SPACE WHEN THE RESOUNDING FEEDBACK HAS BEEN THAT'S NOT A PRIORITY.
I THINK I SAW AN EARLIER PRESENTATION THAT HAD $4 SIGNS ON THE REVENUE ABLE TO BE GENERATED FROM AN OUTDOOR SPACE.
I DIDN'T SEE IT WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH TONIGHT.
I KNOW IT WAS A LITTLE BIT FASTER.
BUT CHERYL, WEREN'T YOU JUST SAYING THAT COPPELL MAKES...
LIKE NO MONEY ON THEIR OUTDOOR SPACE? YEAH, SO INITIALLY I THOUGHT, WOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR SPACE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROJECTED WHEN THEY PUT IN THE RIVERWALK.
HOWEVER, WHEN GETTING FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE AND TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE ART CENTERS, THE OUTDOOR SPACE IS MINIMALLY USED.
IN FACT, CAPEL, AGAIN, THEY ACTUALLY SAID THAT THEY WISH THEY HAD TAKEN AWAY SOME OF THE, USED LESS OF THE OUTDOOR SPACE AND USED THAT MORE FOR THE FRONT GALLERY.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GALLERY, BUT WHAT THEY TOOK AWAY
[01:55:02]
FROM THAT GALLERY WAS THE WIDTH OF IT.LARGE ART IN THERE, THE SCULPTURES, THE BIG SCULPTURES, YEAH, 3D SCULPTURES ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT IN THERE.
THEY WISH THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT FRONT SPACE OUT AND THEN WITH WEATHER CHANGES, A LOT OF THE PERFORMANCES GET CANCELED, THEY GET RAINED DOWN, IT'S TOO HOT.
SO THAT'S, I'VE KIND OF CHANGED MY OPINION OF HAVING THAT BIGGER LARGE, THAT BIGGER SPACE FOR OUTDOOR.
I WANT IT TO BE BEAUTIFUL, I WANT IT TO BE NICE, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF DOLLAR SIGNS.
AND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THAT, I DO AGREE WITH ANN AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
THE DOLLAR SIGNS ON THIS ARE REVENUE GENERATION.
IN COPPELL, THEY DIDN'T GENERATE ANY REVENUE.
AND PLUS, IF IT'S AN OUTDOOR SPACE THAT'S JUST FOR GENERAL USE, THERE'S ZERO DOLLARS.
AND IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, $6 MILLION.
NOW I REALIZE SOME OF THAT WON'T GO AWAY, THE SITE UTILITIES, GRADING, PREP, THE PLAZA, ET CETERA, THE EXTENSION.
BUT THE PERFORMANCE SPACE IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FEEDBACK HAS SAID, WHAT ABOUT AN OUTDOOR GALLERY WALK, YOU KNOW, LIKE AN ART? AND I DON'T SEE THAT HERE AT ALL.
THE TERRACES. I LIKED THE IDEA OF THE TERRACE AS A SPACE MAYBE ADJACENT TO THE WATER WALL, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL BACKDROP FOR AN OUTDOOR SPACE.
BUT I JUST REALLY WOULD LIKE THAT REWORKED.
IN ADDITION TO THE SITE PLAN, WITH THIS MARQUEE ENTRANCE, WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN CENTRAL AVENUE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A BRICK WALL. YOU'RE DRIVING UP, AND THERE'S THE BRICK WALL WITH TREES AND THE AUTO COURT.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO DRIVE RIGHT AND THEN GO DOWN, BECAUSE THAT'S A ONE-WAY DRIVE ALSO.
SO I JUST WAS ENVISIONING SOMETHING WHERE YOU WOULD BE DRAWN INTO THIS MAGNIFICENT, BEAUTIFUL ENTRANCE AT THE END, LIKE A GRAND PROMENADE. I'M GETTING A LITTLE THEATRICAL. BUT IT WAS THE WAY IT WAS CITED. IT JUST DIDN'T REALLY WORK FOR ME. SO I'M GOING TO JUMP IN SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OUTDOOR SPACE. AND I DO THINK IT'S AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE. IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT ONE OF OUR PUBLIC, THE VICE CHAIR, SAID WHEN SHE CAME UP IS THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE A COMMUNITY HUB, NOT JUST A THEATER. AND THE SYNERGY THAT I'M LOOKING FOR, AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS GOING TO BE A LOSS LEADER FOR THE TOWN, BUT IT'S ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO TO THE RIVERWALK, AND IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THIS AREA. SO WE'RE HAVING EVENTS CURRENTLY IN HERITAGE PARK. IT'S ABOUT A 30,000-SQUARE-FOOT LAWN WITH A STAGE WITH A COVER OVER IT, AND THOSE SHOULD BE HERE. SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR FROM THE PERFORMANCE, AND FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T WANT TO HIDE THE BUILDING BEHIND 09,000 TREES NECESSARILY. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE BUILDING. I DO WANT A LOT OF NICE LANDSCAPING. I THINK WHAT CLAIRE MENTIONED IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO LANDSCAPE IT. BUT IF THE COMMUNITY LAWN CAN HOST THOSE EVENTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING AT HERITAGE PARK IN THIS LOCATION SO THAT PEOPLE COME TO THE ARTS CENTER, THEY ENJOY A SHOW OR A MOVIE, THEY WALK DOWN TO THE RESTAURANTS, THAT TO ME IS WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IF ALL PEOPLE DO IS SHOW UP, WALK INSIDE, SEE A SHOW, COME BACK, GET IN THEIR CAR AND LEAVE.
I'M NOT SURE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE FULL BENEFIT THAT WE COULD.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE REVENUE THAT THE LAWN WILL GENERATE.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE ANYTHING.
HERITAGE PARK DOESN'T GENERATE ANY REVENUE EITHER.
BUT IT WILL GENERATE BENEFITS TO ALL OF THESE BUSINESSES AROUND.
IT WILL GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE ART CENTER.
AND IT WILL GET PEOPLE INTO THE RIVERWALK, AND THAT'S THE VALUE.
SO, WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT IS, DO WE WANT THE STAGE OR THE AREA WHERE ONE OF OUR BANDS WOULD SHOW UP FOR, YOU KNOW, CONCERTS IN THE PARK, STARING AT THE SUN DURING THEIR SHOW? OR DO WE WANT TO REORIENT THAT SO MAYBE IT FACES NORTH, OR WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SET THIS UP? SO WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AS BOTH BECAUSE THERE'S A NATURAL SLOPE TO THE SITE FROM, UH, I THINK WEST TO EAST, AND THAT MOST OF THOSE SORTS OF PERFORMANCES WOULD LIKELY OCCUR LATER IN THE DAY, THAT YOU WOULD BE IN THE PERFORMANCE LAWN, YOU WOULD BE LOOKING TO THE EAST. THE SUN WOULD MOSTLY BE TO THE SIDE OF YOU OR BEHIND YOU. IT WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR EYES. SO CURRENTLY, IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND AT HERITAGE PARK. ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE FACE THE SUN, AND YOU SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO GET A TREE OF SHADE UNTIL FINALLY THE SUN GOES DOWN, AND THEN THEY'LL SORT OF EMERGE OUT BACK INTO THE AREA. SO THAT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT. MAYBE THAT HOTEL NEXT TO IT SOLVES THAT PROBLEM. I WILL HAVE TO GO OUT THERE IN MAY AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WE HAD, WE USED TO PUT OUR STAGE ON 4TH OF JULY FACING WEST, AND THEN WE HAD SOMEBODY PASS OUT. LIKE, ONE OF THE PERFORMERS PASSED OUT.
[02:00:01]
OH, YEAH.AND WE MOVED IT TO A NORTH-FACING.
SO I WOULD JUST THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE, I MIGHT TURN THIS 90 DEGREES JUST TO MAKE IT WORK A LITTLE BETTER, BUT I'M NOT REALLY POSITIVE ABOUT THAT.
WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOME ANALYSIS.
AND I WANT TO CAUTION EVERYBODY FROM TAKING WHAT WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU LITERALLY.
LIKE WE'RE IN WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE PRE-DESIGN PHASE.
WE'VE ONLY TAKEN THIS FAR ENOUGH TO GET A GOOD ENOUGH IDEA THAT WE COULD GET SOME COSTS ON THIS. THAT WERE TIED TO THE PROGRAM AND THE SITE AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WERE LIKE NOT JUST PLUCKED OUT OF THIN AIR BUT REALLY GROUNDED IN YOUR PROJECT AND THE SIZE OF THE SITE AND SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SORT OF... WELL, SOMEBODY FORGOT TO TELL JERRY JONES NOT TO ORIENT HIS STADIUM NORTHWEST AND NOW WE HAVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS. SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IT'S OUT THERE NOW AND WE THINK ABOUT IT WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
YES, AND I THINK ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THAT OPEN SPACE IS THAT IT SITS BETWEEN... THE EXISTING RETAIL AND THE ART CENTER. IT'S LIKE A CONVERGENT SPOT IN THE MIDDLE. YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT SPACE HAVING RINGED WITH TENTS AND BEING A FARMER'S MARKET OR BEING AN ART FAIR OR SOMETHING. IT DOESN'T JUST, IT'S NOT SET UP LIKE IT'S GOT CHAIRS OR STEP SEATING OR SOMETHING. IT'S BASICALLY A BIG OPEN FLAT LAWN THAT CAN BE USED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS WHEN THE WEATHER'S RIGHT. WHENEVER YOU WANT TO USE IT, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE DEDICATED TO ONLY ONE TYPE OF USE.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR. I HOPE THAT IT MAKES IT TO THE FINISH LINE, BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THIS, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP THE RIVERWALK A LOT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE GALLERY NOW? YES. CAN YOU GO TO SLIDE 35 FOR THAT PORTION? WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT ON THIS LEFT PICTURE? 35, SORRY, 35. ONE, ONE, THERE IS ONE, OH THERE WAS A 35, THERE WAS A 35. THE 35 WAS, I'M SORRY, I TOOK THAT OUT OF THIS FINAL PRESENTATION.
THAT 35, I WAS GOING CRAZY, WAS A SERIES OF IMAGES OF LOBBY SPACES BEING USED FOR EVENTS, BEING USED FOR SEATED DINNERS IN ONE CASE, BEING USED FOR A WEDDING, UH, BIG GLASSY WALL WITH A BACKDROP OVERLOOKING A GARDEN OR A LANDSCAPE SPACE. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS TO ILLUSTRATE, WAS THAT THE LOBBY IS, WE THINK OF THE LOBBY AS A KIND OF SPACE THAT CAN ALSO BE A RENTAL SPACE. THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PICTURE I WANTED TO SEE, AND THANK YOU. YEAH, OKAY, SO IT WAS SAID BASICALLY THAT A GALLERY BRINGS IN NO REVENUE. THERE WAS A DASH MARK ON THE REVENUE SIDE, AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
TYPICAL GALLERY COMMISSIONS RANGE FROM 40 TO 50 PERCENT.
SO IF WE HAVE EXHIBITING ARTISTS WHO ARE ALSO SELLING THEIR WORKS, THAT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE OPPORTUNITY. THERE ALSO COULD BE EXHIBITION FEES, AND TYPICALLY THEY RUN BETWEEN $25 AND $75, OR IF IT'S THE WHOLE GALLERY, IT COULD BE A FLAT FEE THAT'S MORE SUBSTANTIAL. JURIED SHOWS, WHICH I HOPE WE WOULD HAVE AS AN ENGAGING KIND OF PROGRAMMING, THE FEES COULD RUN FROM $25 TO $50 APIECE. SO THERE ARE MANY REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH A GALLERY.
AND I THINK BASED ON BOTH THE FEEDBACK WE'VE HAD IN ALL THE GROUPS AND TONIGHT, THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART THAT I WOULD SAY HAS TAKEN GREAT PRECEDENCE OVER EVEN THE OUTDOOR PAVILION, WHICH I APPRECIATE.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANTING TO WELCOME PEOPLE IN AND CREATE THAT BRIDGE TO THE RIVERWALK RESTAURANT, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY RETAIL THERE AT THIS POINT.
BUT I THINK THE GALLERY IS SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO TACKLE SO THAT YOU CAN INCORPORATE IT IN THE GO FORWARD PLAN.
SAY WHAT SHOULD BE BUILT OR WHAT'S THE PART OF THE PROGRAM.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO BUILD ALL OF THIS.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU GUYS IN CREATING THIS ARE CREATING...
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT WE CAN'T.
I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY, I THINK FROM EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD AND THE WAY I THINK ABOUT THIS PROJECT, YOU GUYS ARE CREATING AN AMENITY FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IT BE SOMETHING THAT FITS...
THE DESIRES AND THE WISHES OF THIS COMMUNITY.
I WOULD NOT PRIORITIZE, IT IS NOT, YOU'RE NOT BUILDING AN ARTS CENTER AS A BUSINESS THING AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ENTIRELY ON THE BASIS OF COST.
WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE BOTH BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BUILD THE ARTS CENTER OF OUR DREAMS BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TO OUR CURRENT AND OUR FUTURE RESIDENTS AND SO ANYTIME WE CAN INCORPORATE FLEXIBILITY, WHICH I DID WANT TO SAY YOU'VE DONE A NICE JOB.
OF OFFERING US FLEXIBLE SPACES, WHICH WE DID SPECIFY THAT WAS A DESIRE OF OURS.
BUT WE NEED TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE WE AREN'T GOING TO GREATLY SUBSIDIZE.
[02:05:01]
WITH THE COMPLEXION OF WHAT OUR TOWN WANTS.THEY WANT US TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SO IF WE'RE NOT MONETIZING IT TO MAKE A BUSINESS PROPOSITION IT'S TO OFFSET THE EXPENSES AND MAKE IT EASIER AND BETTER FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO ENJOY IT.
THAT'S WHY I AM MUCH MORE IN FAVOR OF A GALLERY IN LIEU OF SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS, BUT AGAIN, IF WE MINIMIZE SOME OF THE EXPENSES WITH THE OUTSIDE, MAYBE WE COULD GET ALSO THE CLASSROOMS FOR $1.9 MILLION INSTEAD OF THE PAVILION WITH THE PLATFORM OUTSIDE.
KIND OF ALONG THOSE LINES, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM. CAN WE GO STEP BY STEP, LIKE EACH LITTLE SLIDE? LET'S STAY ON THE GALLERY FOR A SECOND. SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU.
BUT IF WE COULD GO. WHICH SLIDES WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL FOR YOU, DO YOU FEEL LIKE? IS IT THESE LISTS OF SLIDES THAT SHOWED THE PROGRAM IN VISUALS, OR IS IT THE GRAPHIC THAT REPRESENTS LIKE THE IDEAL ASPIRATIONAL PROGRAM AND WE GO ELEMENT BY ELEMENT? FOR ME, THE GRAPHIC WAS HELPFUL. THE SIZE, THE PURPOSE, I THINK THE GRAPHIC.
SO SLIDES 48 THROUGH 52 THAT SHOWED THE PRICE TAG WITH THOSE? WITH THE PRICE TAG, RIGHT.
OKAY. WASN'T SLIDE 51 THE CAC CONSENSUS? ARTS COMMISSION CONSENSUS? PROBABLY. I THINK MAYBE. NO, IT MUST HAVE BEEN 52. I SWEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THEY DON'T RECOMMEND. THIS E, E WAS THE CAC ON BUDGET CONSENSUS. YES. SO THIS IS THE ONE I THINK IS.
IT'S OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE CAC PRIORITIES TRANSLATED INTO A PROGRAM.
THEY HAVEN'T SEEN THIS, AND THEY HAVEN'T BLESSED IT.
SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY THIS REPRESENTS WHAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND. BUT THEY WOULD CERTAINLY AFFIRM THAT THE GALLERY SHOULD BE A COMPONENT OF IT.
BUT THE REASON WHY I WANTED YOU TO GO TO SLIDE 34 WAS BECAUSE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE GALLERY AND THE LOBBY AND HOW MUCH OF A DELINEATION DO YOU NEED TO DRAW.
WE HAVE A GALLERY, BUT WE PUT IT IN THE BACK AND NO ONE EVER SEES IT.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A VERY GOOD IDEA.
I THINK WE'D RATHER HAVE THE ART IN THE LOBBY WHERE EVERYBODY SEES IT ALL THE TIME.
THAT PICTURE ON SLIDE 34 HAD A LOBBY AND A GALLERY THAT WERE VERY MUCH ALMOST THE SAME THING, NOT QUITE.
SO WHAT I WANTED TO TRY TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON IS HOW DISTINCT IS THIS GALLERY FROM THE LOBBY AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY JOINED INTO A SINGLE EXPENSE AND FUNCTION? IN THIS IMAGE RIGHT HERE, THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT IS FROM INSIDE THAT GALLERY.
IT'S INSIDE THE VOLUME OF THE LOBBY.
IT'S GOT A SET OF COMPONENTS AND WALLS AND DISPLAY CASES THAT CAN BE MOVED AROUND.
IN THIS IMAGE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTRY TO THE GALLERY THAT FLOATS WITHIN THE LOBBY, AND IT'S GOT A SCREEN ACROSS IT THAT'S A GATE YOU CAN CLOSE WHENEVER YOU'RE CHANGING OVER SHOWS OR WHENEVER PEOPLE ARE NOT AROUND TO KIND OF SECURE AND WATCH THE ARTWORK.
DOES THIS PROVIDE A DISTINCT GALLERY THAT SATISFIES THE NEED FOR ONE WHILE ALSO MAYBE BEING THE MOST ECONOMICAL WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AND GET PEOPLE TO COME IN AND LOOK AT IT? I WOULD WANT TO ASK THE COMMUNITY AND THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION THEIR FEELING. I WOULD LOVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE THEM HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THAT GALLERY AND TELL US WHETHER THAT FITS. I THINK THERE'S A REALLY GREAT WAY TO DO A GALLERY THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE LOBBY THAT CAN DOUBLE AS A FLEXIBLE SPACE FOR RECEPTIONS AND OTHER THINGS THAT, WHENEVER THERE IS A BIG ENOUGH EXHIBIT THAT IT WANTS TO BE LARGER THAN THE GALLERY, IT CAN SPILL OUT OF THE GALLERY INTO THE LOBBY IN THE PUBLIC SPACE AND HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY. BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE ISSUES AROUND SECURITY AND THERE ARE ISSUES AROUND LIGHTING AND OTHER THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ADDRESSING APPROPRIATELY. AND DUAL BOOKINGS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE AN ART GALLERY RECEPTION ON THE SAME NIGHT YOU'RE HAVING A PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LOBBY TO GET INTO THE PRESIDIUM THEATER. SO THAT'S NOT GOOD. SO I THINK THE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT ABOUT THAT OPTION E IS WHEN WE HAVE THE GALLERY ON THERE AS A SQUARE FOOTAGE, IT IS ASSUMING DEDICATED SPACE THAT HAS WALLS AROUND IT AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THAT TO THE LOBBY HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED OR THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR HOW WE COULD DO THAT. BUT WHAT IT'S SAYING IS WE HAVE DEDICATED SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR THE LOBBY FUNCTIONS AND DEDICATED SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR ART GALLERY FUNCTIONS.
WHAT ABOUT USING THAT AS RECEPTION AREAS OR THERE'S
[02:10:02]
RECEPTION AREAS WITHIN THAT? TO USE THAT FOR RENTALS? YEAH, WITHIN THE LOBBY YOU HAVE CAPABILITY TO HAVE RECEPTION AND HAVE MOBILE. MAYBE THERE'S MOBILE UNITS THAT ALLOW YOU TO SET UP A BAR SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHER TIMES. SO, YEAH, LET'S KEEP GOING ON THESE KEY AREAS. MAIN THEATERS, FLEXIBLE STUDIO, MULTIPLE. LET'S GO STAGE BY STAGE BECAUSE WE'RE ALL...RIGHT, SO YES, THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM. KIND OF ALONG THE SAME LINES AS WE WERE TRYING TO SAY TWO DIFFERENT ROOMS. WHAT DOES THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, WHAT DEPENDS ON THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM? IS THERE SOME PROGRAMMING THAT DEPENDS ON IT? OR IS IT REALLY JUST ANOTHER SPACE? I WOULD SAY THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM IS THE SIMPLEST, FLEXIBLE SPACE THAT CAN BE USED FOR A BUNCH OF THINGS.
SO IT CAN BE USED FOR PERFORMANCE GROUPS TO REHEARSE IN, MUSIC ENSEMBLE TO REHEARSE IN.
IT CAN BE USED AS A WARM-UP SPACE FOR PEOPLE BEFORE THEY GO ON THE STAGE.
IT CAN BE USED AS THE RECEPTION SPACE FOR AN OPENING NIGHT THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FLEX STUDIO THEATER WHILE THE LOBBY IS IN USE AND THERE'S AN EVENT GOING ON IN THE MAIN THEATER.
IT CAN BE USED FOR CLASSROOMS. IT CAN BE USED FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
DURING THE DAY, YOU CAN HAVE...
COMMUNITY GROUPS USE IT, YOU CAN HAVE BUSINESS GROUPS USE IT.
SO IT'S LIKE THIS FLEX SPACE THAT AUGMENTS THE ABILITY TO MAXIMIZE THE WAY YOU USE YOUR OTHER SPACES.
SOME BIG ENSEMBLE PRODUCTIONS IN THE MAIN THEATER, LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE A NUTCRACKER THAT HAS A TON OF CHILDREN IN IT, AND YOUR DRESSING ROOM SPACE BACK OF HOUSE IS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HOST ALL OF THEM.
SO A LOT OF TIMES A SPACE LIKE THIS DOUBLES AS A SORT OF DRESSING ASSEMBLY SPACE FOR LARGER CASTS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THOSE SPACES CAN BE USED.
THEY'RE, I WOULD SAY, ARE REALLY NICE TO HAVE.
THEY AUGMENT THE WAY THE BUILDING CAN FUNCTION AND GIVE YOU A BROADER RANGE OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO, BUT IT'S NOT AN ESSENTIAL TO HAVE.
WAS THAT MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE? AT LEAST IN ONE OF THE MODELS, IT WAS A FAIRLY HIGH PRICE TAG COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS.
I THINK IT'S SET AT A HIGHER PRICE TAG BECAUSE IT HAS A HIGHER LEVEL OF FINISH IN IT THAN THE FLEXIBLE STUDIO THEATER DOES.
NOT NECESSARILY THE SQUARE FOOTAGE, THOUGH? NO.
SO THAT COULD BE REDUCED, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEP.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE CONCRETE BLOCK, BUT I DON'T NEED IT TO BE THE TAJ MAHAL.
OR SOME OTHER THINGS COULD GO, IF THIS COULD BE USED.
ATTENDING THE MEETINGS IN DECEMBER, A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE MUSICAL GROUPS, REALLY WANTED SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS WARM-UP SPACE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING A PERFORMANCE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO GET READY. IS THAT THE FLEX STUDIO? YOU'RE SAYING THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM? NO, THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM.
BECAUSE THE FLEX STUDIO, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS MORE AKIN TO A BLACK BOX BUT NOT THE DARKNESS OF IT.
SO IT COULD BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS ASIDE FROM JUST THAT BLACK BOX FEEL.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAVING THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM DOES IS HELP WITH CALENDARING.
THERE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT WHEN THEY'RE SET UP, THEY'VE TAKEN OVER THAT SPACE.
AND THIS GIVES YOU THE ABILITY THAT IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER EVENT THAT'S RENTING THE FLEXIBLE STUDIO, YOU STILL HAVE THIS GENERAL PURPOSE ROOM FOR KIND OF THE OVERFLOW ELEMENTS OR TO SUPPORT THAT.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT MAY HAVE A LARGER KIND OF FESTIVAL DAY IN THEIR RENTAL OR IN THEIR EVENT.
SO THERE'S A PERFORMANCE ELEMENT THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STAGE, AND THEN MAYBE THERE'S SOME RECEPTION OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S HAPPENING.
BOTH THE FLEXIBLE STUDIO AND THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM LETS YOU KEEP THE RENTABLE SPACE WITH THE HIGHER LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE WHEN YOU NEED A HOLDING SPACE FOR SOME OTHER THINGS THAT DON'T NEED THAT LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY.
LIKE STORAGE? WOULD THAT HAVE STORAGE AS WELL? ALL OF THESE SPACES HAVE STORAGE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND THE MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE DID MAKE THE CUT ON OPTION E.
ON BUDGET CONSENSUS, RIGHT? THE FLEX STUDIO DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, BUT THE MULTIPURPOSE, I BELIEVE, DID.
YES, WE HAVE THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
AS A SUBDIVIDABLE ROOM THAT COULD BE USED AS CLASSROOM
[02:15:01]
SPACE OR AS MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE.YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF USABILITY OUT OF IT.
AND WHILE WE'RE HERE, MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, SINCE WE DO HAVE THEĀWE KNOW THAT THE $100 MILLION BUILDING IS THE BEST BUILDING, THE RIGHT BUILDING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET FOR THAT. SO, YOU MENTIONED A PHASE TWO. YOU KIND OF HAD SOMEĀA STRATEGY FOR PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO THAT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THIS. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE PHASE TWO IN MIND AND SAY THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE EXCLUDED, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WHEN A FUTURE COUNCIL COMES IN AND ADDS THE AMSTERDAM WING TO THIS BUILDING, THAT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S READY TO GO AND WE CAN PUT IT IN AND WE'RE NOT LIKE TEARING HALF THE BUILDING DOWN AND RESTARTING? IS THAT POSSIBLE? IT'S NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON FOR US TO DESIGN A BUILDING ANTICIPATING A FUTURE PHASE.
WE DID THAT AT THE MOODY. THEY DESIGNED THE BUILDING ANTICIPATING THE ADDITION OF A FUTURE FLAT FLOOR, SORT OF SMALLER STUDIO THEATER SPACE.
THEY STILL HAVE THE LAND AND THEY STILL HAVE THE SPACE AND THEY STILL ARE SET UP TO DO IT. THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, BUT YEAH, THAT'S NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON. I KNOW THE VICE CHAIR AT THE, THE,AT THE ARTS CENTER MEETING SAID THAT SHE DIDN'T THINK WHATEVER HAPPENED, BUT WE'RE ADDING ON TO THE CAC RIGHT NOW, SO IT IS POSSIBLE. AND I DO THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, THE MONEY WILL ARRIVE IN TIME, AND WHEN IT DOES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED TO GO IN AND NOT, YOU KNOW, TEAR TOO MUCH OUT IN THE SERVICE OF ADDING.
YEAH, WE HAVE AN ART CENTER THAT KIM AND I WORKED ON TOGETHER. IT'S ON A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN CORPUS CHRISTI RIGHT NOW THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AND THE MONEY THAT THEY GOT FROM THE STATE WASN'T SUFFICIENT TO BUILD THE PROGRAM THAT THEY WANTED TO BUILD. AND THEY MADE THE DECISION THAT TO BUILD THE ENVELOPE THAT WOULD HOLD ALL THE PROGRAM THAT THEY WANTED TO BUILD AND LEAVE SPACES IN THE BUILDING SHELLED. AS IT TURNS OUT, THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND, FUNDRAISE, OR OTHERWISE FIND THE MONEY THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO FINISH OUT THE BUILDING, AND THEY HAVE ADDED ALL THAT SCOPE BACK IN.
SO, BY THE TIME THEY OPEN, EVERYTHING WILL BE BUILT OUT.
ANOTHER OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN THEY OPENED AND THERE WERE SOME SPACES THAT WERE NOT, WERE, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT USED YET, BUT WERE READY TO BE FINISHED IN THE FUTURE.
I LOVE THAT IDEA, AND I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS MORE OF A COMPROMISE TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE SHELLING EXAMPLE THERE, BUT THE IDEA THAT THE WHOLE FACILITY IS DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE PHASE, AND THEN THERE'S A PLAN.
ADDITIONAL PHASING WITHIN THIS TOO, LIKE WE'VE GOT THE ORCHESTRA PIT HERE, IF THERE'S ABILITY TO PHASE THAT IN AS WELL.
I'M JUST LOOKING FOR OTHER OPTIONS TO KIND OF GIVE US SOME.
I THINK THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT PHASING.
I WOULD SAY THE ORCHESTRA PIT IS NOT ONE THAT YOU COULD COME BACK AND ADD AS A FUTURE PHASE.
IT'S REALLY LIKE BUILDING A BASEMENT, AND IT'S GOT VERY SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO COME OUT AND DIG A BASEMENT OUT UNDERNEATH THEIR HOUSE AFTER THEY'RE LIVING IN IT.
BUT IT'S NOT WHAT ANY OF US WOULD OPTIMALLY LIKE TO DO.
SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF ONE WE NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT OR NOT.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A PIT, WHAT KIND OF PIT? THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF PITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
BUT WHAT WOULD THAT BE? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE IN THE PIT.
OUR ASSUMPTION IN HERE IS THAT THIS IS A TRUE ORCHESTRA PIT ABOUT SEVEN TO EIGHT FEET BELOW.
ASK YOUR QUESTION AGAIN, MAYOR? NOT UNDER THE STAGE.
AT A LOWER LEVEL, THERE MAY BE SOME CANTILEVER THAT TUCKS UNDER THE STAGE.
WE OFTEN DO THAT FOR EFFICIENCY AND TO CONTROL THE VOLUME OF THE MUSICIANS THERE.
FOR THE AREA THAT'S OPEN, I SAID THE FLOOR LEVEL COULD CHANGE.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR HOW WE COULD DO THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN ASSUMPTION FOR A LIFT IN THERE, BUT THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
AND THAT DECISION WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE YET.
YEAH, THE ASSUMPTION IN THE ORCHESTRA PIT IS IT'S A GIANT PLATFORM THAT'S MOTORIZED AND CAN GO UP AND DOWN TO DIFFERENT LEVELS.
SO THAT ALLOWS THAT FLOOR AREA TO BE TURNED INTO SEATING.
TO COME UP AND MAKE A BIGGER STAGE OR TO GO DOWN AND MAKE A PIT.
SO THEN YOU DON'T, LIKE, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE PIT, IT'S AWKWARD TO HAVE THIS MOAT OF EMPTY SPACE BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE PERFORMER.
[02:20:02]
WHY YOU CREATE THIS MOVABLE.FLOOR LEVEL SO THAT YOU YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IF IT'S NOT BEING USED SO THIS THIRTY THOUSAND THAT YOU HAVE IN THIS EXAMPLE IS THAT INCLUDING THE THE PIT THAT GOES UP AND DOWN THAT IS A THIRTY MILLION AND THE PIT IS PROBABLY I WISH IT WERE THIRTY THOUSAND I'D WRITE THE CHECK AND THE PIT PROBABLY REPRESENTS AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS OKAY BUT IT'S INCLUDED IN THIS I MEAN OTHER THINGS ACOUSTICS IF THERE'S WAYS TO PHASE COUP SIX OR THERE'S DIFFERENT QUALITIES THAT COULD PRODUCE COST TO LIGHTING IF THERE'S DIFFERENT PHASES OF LIGHTING THAT COULD REDUCE COST I JUST MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS NOW TO MAYBE IT'S NOT A BIG FACTOR THAT MOVES THE NUMBER I THINK I MAY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
YEAH WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS YEAH CONTROLLING THE SIZE OF THE EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS ISN'T WHERE WE'RE GOING TO FIND THAT VALUE AT THIS LEVEL OF THE PROJECT.
THE ONE ON HERE THAT GIVES ME THE MOST CONCERN IS THAT LAST ITEM, REDUCING QUALITY EXPECTATIONS.
IF I WERE GOING TO TRY TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, I'D WANT TO TRY TO CLOSE THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUILDING IS MEMORABLE.
AND, IN FACT, THE ONE THING WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT IS THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EXTERIOR BEING A LANDMARK BUT NOT BEING A MODERN ART DISASTER THAT EVERYONE HATES IN 10 YEARS.
HAVING SOMETHING LIKE LAVERNE SAID THAT 100 YEARS FROM NOW WE'RE STILL PROUD OF.
SO GETTING THE EXTERIOR RIGHT AND NOT CUTTING TOO MANY CORNERS I THINK IS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REDUCING OUR QUALITY EXPECTATIONS.
IS IT ON THE OUTSIDE, THE FINISH, THE WAY THE BUILDING LOOKS? LIKE I SAID, I CAN'T ANSWER EXACTLY HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN SINCE WE'RE AT THIS REALLY EARLY LEVEL.
WE DID GIVE THE COST ESTIMATOR.
SOME SORT OF GENERAL THINGS TO START WITH, SO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STONE ON THE EXTERIOR, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BRICK ON THE EXTERIOR, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF GLASS, SOME LARGE EXPANSES OF GLASS, SOME BIG CANOPY OVERHANGS WITH WOOD SOFFITS TO ADD WARMTH.
SO WE STARTED WITH, I WOULD NOT SAY THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EXTERIOR FINISH, BUT A ROBUST AND REALLY ELEGANT SET OF MATERIALS THAT WOULD BE ON THE EXTERIOR.
I DON'T THINK WHEN WE'RE SUGGESTING 5% REDUCTION IN QUALITY EXPECTATIONS, SOME OF IT COULD COME IN THE FLEXIBILITY.
LIKE, IS THE THEATER SPACE AS FLEXIBLE AS WHAT WE DESIGNED? CAN WE TURN THE WHOLE THING INTO A FLAT FLOOR ROOM THAT YOU CAN STAGE A 200-PERSON BANQUET INSIDE THE ROOM? MAYBE NOT.
MAYBE IF YOU CAN SAVE A MILLION DOLLARS THERE, MAYBE YOU LOOK AT YOUR OPERATIONAL THING AND GO, WELL WE'D ONLY DO THAT ONCE A YEAR.
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT WORTH WHAT WE'RE SPENDING IN TERMS OF HOW OFTEN WE WOULD GET USE OUT OF THAT.
IT COULD BE THAT WE GO BACK AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T STARTED DESIGNING THIS BUILDING YET.
SO WE'RE MAKING GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THIS, ALL OF THE GROSSING FACTOR, ALL OF THIS STUFF.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO JUST TIGHTEN UP THE BUILDING AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE SPACES THAT YOU SEE THIS.
THE LITTLE BOXES IS A DEFINED SPACE BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE BUT THEY'RE NOT WE HAVEN'T STARTED DEFINING DESIGNING THEM AND LAYING THEM OUT SO SOMETIMES IN SOME OF THOSE SPACES WE CAN SAVE A LITTLE SQUARE FOOTAGE HERE A LITTLE SQUARE FOOTAGE THERE SO I WOULD NOT WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WHEN WE'RE SUGGESTING A FIVE PERCENT SAVINGS THAT THAT AUTOMATICALLY MEANS A BUILDING THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE HIGH QUALITY.
OR IT IS NOT GOING TO BE ICONIC.
I JUST AM SAYING WE STARTED WITH A PRETTY, WE DID NOT START WITH A BASE MODEL HERE.
WE STARTED WITH A PRETTY HIGH LEVEL OF FINISH EXPECTATIONS.
I SHOWED YOU THE PHOTOS OF THE INTERIOR OF THE THEATER, LIKE A LOT OF WOOD, A LOT OF FINISHED SURFACES.
SAME THING WITH THE STUDIO THEATER, LIKE WE ARE TARGETING A PRETTY HIGH LEVEL OF FINISH.
SO 5% OUT OF THIS WHOLE PROJECT I THINK IS ACHIEVABLE WITHOUT HAVING A BIG IMPACT.
ON WHAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE OR HOW FUNCTIONAL AND USABLE THE BUILDING IS.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO START OUT WITH THIS THING SO TIGHT THAT WE'RE FEELING LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED.
WE WANT TO START OUT WITH THIS THING, WITH THE ADEQUATE SPACE TO DO EVERYTHING THE WAY YOU WOULD OPTIMALLY DO IT, AND IF WE CAN FIND WAYS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, WHICH I'M CONFIDENT WE CAN.
IF WE CAN FIND WAYS TO BE A LITTLE SIMPLER, WHICH I'M CONFIDENT WE CAN, WHEN WE GET INTO DESIGN, I FEEL CONFIDENT WE CAN FIND THAT
[02:25:01]
LEVEL OF SAVINGS.DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT SECTION? I ABSOLUTELY DO.
I THINK YOU ALL HAVE DONE PHENOMENAL WORK.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY GREAT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME YOU SPENT WITH DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS TO GET THE INPUT, TO GET THE FEEDBACK, TO REALLY HONE IN ON WHAT IT IS WE NEED HERE.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO JUST GO DOWN THIS LIST, KIND OF WHAT YOU WERE SUGGESTING MAYOR, THE LOBBYING AMENITIES I THINK,WE GOT TO HIT THAT OUT OF THE PARK.
OTHER THAN DRIVING UP AND SEEING IT, WHEN YOU FIRST WALK IN, WE WANT THAT TO BE NICE.
WE WANT IT TO BE NOT JUST A BIG OPEN SPACE, BUT SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE ART EXHIBIT.
NOT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF A GALLERY, BUT YOU COULD DO THINGS WITH IT, GIVE IT CHARACTER, GIVE IT PERSONALITY.
THE 650-SEAT THEATER WITH THE ORCHESTRA PIT, I THINK, AS YOU SAID, THERE'S A GOOD CONSENSUS FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THAT GETS US THE CRITICAL...
NUMBER OF SEATS TO DO WHAT WE WANT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF THIS FILLS THE VOID IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, IT ALLOWS US TO KNOW WHO WE ARE, BUT ALSO KNOW WHAT WE'RE NOT AND WHAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE.
SO I THINK WE CAN REALLY BUILD AROUND THAT, GET THE PROGRAMMING IN THAT SUPPORTS THAT.
SO THAT'S A GOOD SWEET SPOT TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AND PERFORMANCES, WHICH IS OUR MAIN GOAL HERE, SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS, THE FLEXIBLES STUDIO AND THE CLASSROOM.
I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A SECOND.
THE DEDICATED GALLERY, I LIKE THAT WE HAVE THAT IN THERE.
I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF THE PHASING, AND WHETHER WE DO THE ENTIRE SHELL OR WE DO, AT LEAST WE PLAN FOR WHAT'S NEXT, WHAT WE CAN'T AFFORD RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO IT.
AND AS FAR AS THE OUTDOOR SPACE, YOU KNOW, ONE OPTION MIGHT BE THAT WE START, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON IT.
AND MAYBE WE DO A BARE MINIMUM NOW.
AND THEN AT SOME POINT, IF WE ARE GOING TO REPLACE, YOU KNOW, TAKE OVER WHAT WE'RE DOING AT HERITAGE PARK, MAYBE WE COULD USE 4B FUNDS TO FINISH THAT UP DOWN THE ROAD.
MAYBE WE COULD USE HOT TAX TO DO THAT, OR SOME OF THE INTERIOR PORTIONS OF IT LATER DOWN THE ROAD.
SO I THINK IF WE COULD THINK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO, I THINK THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN GET THERE.
HOPEFULLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
SO IF WE PLAN FOR THAT UP FRONT, HOPEFULLY WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AND REVISITING THIS HERE IN YEARS, NOT DECADES, TO GET THIS WHERE WE WANT IT.
BUT MY THOUGHT IS WE FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
WE CAN'T OBVIOUSLY GET EVERYWHERE WE WANT TO BE TODAY JUST BECAUSE OF THE REALITY OF FUNDING.
BUT LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THERE, WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY, AND THEN THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE TO FINISH UP THAT DELTA AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND RESPONSIBLE WITH THE TAXPAYERS MONEY, BUT I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY GOOD I HAD A COUPLE OF THE NOTES.
LET ME MAKE SURE I'M HITTING EVERYTHING YES, THE I SEE HERE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM AND CLASSROOMS THIS IS IN LIEU OF THE TWO DEDICATED CLASSROOMS ON THIS E NUMBER PROPOSAL WITH THE INTENT BE THAT THAT MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM COULD GROW IN THIS OPTION TO WHERE WE WOULD NEVER NEED CLASSROOMS OR WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE THIS THAT SERVES CLASSROOMS FOR NOW, BUT THEN WE ADD CLASSROOMS LATER? WE DON'T NEED TO ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I HAD.
AND THEN I GUESS THE FINAL POINT IS FOR THE PROGRAMMING.
AND THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AROUND THE PROGRAMMING.
WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE? WHAT IS OUR IDENTITY GOING TO BE WITH THIS FACILITY? AND, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE, BEFORE WE SPEND THE MONEY, I'D LIKE TO GO IN WITH CLEAR EYES AS TO UNDERSTANDING HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
IS IT GOING TO BE USED THREE TIMES A WEEK, FIVE TIMES A WEEK, TWICE A DAY, ONCE A MONTH? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE EXPECTING, THE USAGE AND THE FREQUENCY? OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A PREDICTION.
IT'S GOING TO CHANGE AND IT'S GOING TO EBB AND IT'S GOING TO FLOW.
AND I THINK THAT'S COMING IN THE NEXT STEP, BUT I'D BE KEEN TO SEE THAT AS WELL.
OKAY, SO ONE AREA THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IS THE STAGE AND PERFORMER SUPPORT.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS A GROUP.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED CAPEL DIDN'T HAVE SHOWERS, SOMEONE DIDN'T HAVE SHOWERS, BUT I DO SEE THEM HERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE THAT.
YEAH, YOU MENTIONED, YEAH, THAT IS A STIPULATION FOR SOME ARTISTS TO COME TO PERFORM, THAT THEY REQUEST SHOWERS.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE SHOWERS, THEY WON'T COME AND PERFORM.
IT IS INCLUDED, BUT I THINK THAT'S GOOD.
IT'S PART OF EQUITY ACTOR UNION REQUIREMENTS.
CAN YOU GO TO THE SLIDE WITH THE STAGE AND PERFORMER SUPPORT? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT
[02:30:02]
THAT, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE JUST GOT.WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT I'LL BRING UP THE CATERING KITCHEN BECAUSE I SAW IT'S THERE BUT IT'S ONLY 300 SQUARE FEET AND IS THAT ENOUGH? I MEAN WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE SUPPORT SOME PRETTY SERIOUS EVENTS HERE.
IT IS A CATERING KITCHEN THAT DOES YOU'RE NOT DOING ANY COOKING ON SITE.
IT'S ENTIRELY A STAGING AND WARMING SPACE SO YOUR CATERERS ARE BRINGING FOOD THAT THEY PREPARED SOMEPLACE ELSE.
AND THEY HAVE A SPACE THAT THEY CAN, THAT HAS SINKS, THAT HAS WARMING OVENS, THAT HAS REFRIGERATORS, THAT HAS ICE MAKER, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, LIKE THE WALTON ARTS CENTER HAS A CATERING KITCHEN OF ABOUT THAT SIZE WITH THOSE AMENITIES.
AND THEY CAN DO SIT DOWN DINNERS IN THEIR FLEXIBLE SORT OF STUDIO SPACE OR IN THEIR LOBBY OR SOMETHING FOR THEIR...
REALLY BIG EVENT LIKE A GIANT SEATED DINNER IN THEIR THEATER.
THEY TAKE OVER SOME PLACE LIKE THEIR STUDIO THEATER AS A STAGING SPACE WHERE THEY CAN LAY OUT ALL THIS STUFF.
AND THE TEAMS OF SERVERS CAN COME THROUGH THERE AND THEY CAN STAGE ALL OF THAT.
SO THE CATERING KITCHEN IS BIG ENOUGH FOR MOST EVENTS THAT YOU WOULD BE WANTING TO DO IN YOUR BUILDING.
BUT IF YOU'RE DOING A GIANT GALA, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE OVER SPACE.
LIKE THE FLAT FLOOR MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM, AS STAGING SPACE FOR THAT.
SO I THOUGHT WE HADN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE SPECIFICS ON THE STAGE, WHAT THAT WOULD CONSIST, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND HOW THAT GOES INTO OUR BUDGET.
TELL ME MORE SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
LIKE WHAT IS THE SIZING OF THE STAGE? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SEATS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE PIT, BUT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE STAGE ITSELF.
SO THIS STAGE IS ABOUT 34 FEET DEEP, ABOUT 80 FEET WIDE, AND YOU CAN SEE THIS SORT OF BUMP OUT IN THE BACK BETWEEN THE TWO LIT SPACES THAT ARE LABELED STORAGE AND THE TWO SPACES THAT ARE SORT OF GOT THE DOORS, THEIR SOUND AND LIGHT LOCKS FOR PERFORMER ENTRANCES TO THE STAGE.
IS SPECIFICALLY A SPACE TO STORE AN ORCHESTRA SHELL.
HOW MANY? IS THAT 30, 50? HOW MANY PERFORMERS OR...
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, KIM? FOR AN ORCHESTRA SETUP, THIS IS A HARD QUESTION.
BECAUSE GENERALLY FOR AN ORCHESTRA, IF YOU WANT A PERFORMANCE, YOU NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST, WHAT, 30 TO 50 SEATS, I WOULD THINK.
WE'VE GOT A CONDUCTOR OUT HERE.
FOR THE NUMBER OF MUSICIANS? FOR THE NUMBER OF MUSICIANS IN HERE, I'M COMFORTABLE SAYING WE'RE OVER 70. I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE AT 100 OR 125.
I'M GOING TO OPEN THIS TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND INVITE ONE OF OUR DIRECTORS UP HERE, IF HE WILL COME UP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
COLIN MCMAINS, DIRECTOR OF THE FLOWER MOUNDS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
OKAY, SO FOR STAGING SIZE, OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT IN DANCE, SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DANCING, WHAT WE NEED FOR DANCERS, UNLESS YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
BUT FOR AN ORCHESTRA, HOW BIG WOULD A STAGE NEED TO BE TO DO A GOOD PRODUCTION THERE? IT'S A HARD QUESTION.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU A FIRM ANSWER FOR, BUT THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE MOST ENSEMBLES THAT PERFORM LIKE THE FLOWER MOUND SYMPHONY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE VENUE WHERE WE CURRENTLY PERFORM IS TREACH MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
WE PERFORM ON WHAT'S KIND OF A PROSCENIUM THERE.
IT JUTS OUT INTO THE ROOM, AND SO IT'S A MUCH NARROWER AND DEEPER PERFORMANCE SPACE THAN A STAGE LIKE THIS WOULD BE.
AND SO THIS IS MUCH MORE OF A COMMON, A MUCH MORE COMMON SETUP FOR WHAT AN ORCHESTRA WOULD USE, WHERE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE LATERAL THAN IT IS DEEP.
AND SO THIS, I THINK THE DIMENSIONS THEY'RE GIVING ARE SUFFICIENT IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OF MUSICIANS FOR A REGULAR, YOU KNOW, AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE FULL-SIZE SYMPHONY.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT 60 TO 80 PEOPLE.
IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY BIG AND, YOU KNOW, SYMPHONY PLUS CHORUS OR SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A LOT MORE SPACING THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED WITH THAT BUT YOU KNOW THE FARM ON SYMPHONY FOR EXAMPLE.
[02:35:02]
WE ARE ROUGHLY 55 ISH BELOW COMMUNITY OR CIVIC SYMPHONY WOULD BE.DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
YEAH, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS A STAGE THAT'S SIZED TO ACCOMMODATE A FULL SYMPHONY, JUST NOT THE LARGEST ONE, NOT LIKE THE GIANT SYMPHONY WITH A FULL CHOIR.
PROBABLY WOULD NOT FIT ON THIS STAGE, BUT WE DEFINITELY CONSIDERED...
THAT AS ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE LIKELY USES ON THIS STAGE, AND DESIGNED AND LAID IT OUT TO ACCOMMODATE THAT, AND PROVIDE STORAGE FOR THE ACOUSTIC ELEMENTS YOU NEED, WHICH IS THE SHELL, AND A PLACE TO STORE THEM SO THEY ARE NOT IN THE WAY WHEN YOU WANT TO USE IT FOR DANCE THE NEXT NIGHT.
YOU MOVE THEM OUT OF THE WAY, AND YOU'VE GOT FULL SPRUNG FLOOR AREA FOR YOUR DANCERS.
WELL, ANNETTE, AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED DANCERS, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF MY CONCERNS.
MY DAUGHTER WAS A DANCER, SO I WENT TO ALL THESE.
I WAS A BACKSTAGE MOM, BUT WE WON'T TALK ABOUT THAT.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THIS SPACE BE BIG ENOUGH.
I KNOW THE GRAND, SHE PERFORMED A LOT AT THE GRAND, AND IT WAS SUCH A SMALL SPACE.
IT DIDN'T ALLOW FOR A GOOD PRODUCTION TO BE DONE.
IF THE SPACING ISN'T VERY GOOD, THAT'S GOING TO LIMIT WHAT PERFORMERS WANT TO COME.
THIS STAGE IS LARGER THAN THE LOUISVILLE GRAND STAGE.
WE'RE DEBATING SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO GET YOU AN EXACT COUNT, RIGHT? BUT THIS PROSCENIUM, WHICH IS KIND OF YOUR PICTURE FRAME OPENING WIDTH, IS BETWEEN, LET'S SAY RIGHT NOW, 40 TO 50 FEET, AND WE'RE CHECKING THAT ANSWER.
MOST DANCE KIND OF SCALES DOWN TO 40 FEET.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUTH DANCE, THEY MAY BE A BIT WIDER BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON AT ONE TIME.
SO I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH PUTTING DANCE ON HERE.
I'M COMFORTABLE PUTTING NUTCRACKER ON HERE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS.
MICHAEL REFERRED TO A CONCERT SHELL AND STORING THAT, AND SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THAT IS.
THOSE ARE TOWERS THAT HAVE ACOUSTIC PANELS ON THEM.
AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY COME ON STAGE TO RECREATE THE EFFECT OF A CONCERT HALL SO THAT WE ACOUSTICALLY COUPLE THE STAGE AREA AND THE AUDIENCE.
AND IT HELPS SUPPORT THE MUSICIANS TO PUSH THAT SOUND ENERGY OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE AND SO THEY CAN HEAR EACH OTHER, RATHER THAN LOSING THAT OUT INTO THE STAGE WINGS AND INTO THE CURTAINS AND FLIES ABOVE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY DESIGNING AROUND, IS THIS ABILITY TO CHANGE THE ROOM TO CORRESPOND TO THE TYPE OF PERFORMANCE THAT WE HAVE.
SO IT'S OPTIMIZED FOR UNAMPLIFIED MUSIC PERFORMANCE.
IF WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE JAZZ, WHICH IS A MUCH LIVER, USUALLY AMPLIFIED TYPE OF EVENT, THEN WE HAVE ABSORPTION.
CURTAINS CAN COME IN, AND THEY HELP TUNE THE STAGE MORE TO THAT APPROPRIATE ACOUSTIC SETTING FOR IT.
SO THAT MULTIFUNCTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH MULTIPLE USE IN OTHER SPACES, HERE THAT'S COMING IN TO ALLOW SOME OPTIMIZATION TO THE TYPE OF EVENT, THE TYPE OF PERFORMANCE THAT'S HAPPENING ON STAGE.
AND THEN ALSO SINCE YOU SAID DANCE, THAT YOU'RE A DANCE MOM AND YOUR DAUGHTER DANCED, I WANT TO SAY THE STAGE FLOOR.
BUT JUST BEING AROUND THAT WORLD, I DO WANT TO SAY THE STAGE FLOOR THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT PERFORMERS.
SO IT'S STRONG ENOUGH THAT WE CAN BRING SCENIC ELEMENTS ON THERE, BUT THERE'S RESILIENCY IN IT AS WELL.
AND WILL THIS STAGE ALSO, AND THIS MAY OR MAY NOT GO, I DON'T KNOW THE PRICING OF THIS, BUT TO HAVE THE FLOORING, YOU MENTIONED THE FLOORING, WHICH I'M GLAD YOU DID.
WILL IT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT STORAGE BECAUSE SOMETIMES SOME THEATERS DON'T.
I THINK IT WAS THE GRAND THEATER WE HAD TO BRING OUR OWN FLOORING IN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO STORE THAT AND THIS MIGHT BE A LATER DISCUSSION.
EXACTLY THE THE EQUIPMENT THAT THE TOWN OWNS VERSUS THAT YOU ASK GROUPS TO BRING IN IS A IS A DISCUSSION THAT WE'LL HAVE A BIT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD ON SOME OF THOSE VERY SPECIFIC ITEMS LIKE A BALLET DANCE FLOOR LIKE A MARLEY THAT ROLLS OUT AS AN EXAMPLE.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN ALLOWANCE IN HERE FOR FF&E, RIGHT, THAT WOULD HELP COVER THOSE
[02:40:01]
ELEMENTS.SO WHEN WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS...
WE DECIDE THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANT THE TOWN TO OWN AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND WHEN YOU DO, LET'S SAY YOU DO A PIANO THAT'S A HIGH-QUALITY PIANO, WHERE IS THE STORAGE FOR THAT? IS THAT OFFSTAGE? IT'S NOT SHOWN IN THIS SMALL PLAN, BUT PART OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDES PIANO STORAGE.
THAT WOULD BE CONDITIONED SPACE.
WE EXPECT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A GRAND PIANO, WHETHER THAT'S A 7-FOOT OR 9-FOOT.
TO BE DETERMINED, BUT THAT NEEDS TO HAVE STORAGE BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG INVESTMENT, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND PROTECTED.
SO THAT'S ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE PROGRAM AT THIS POINT, UNLESS YOU TELL US TO TAKE IT OUT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE PIANO, YOU WANT IT REALLY CLOSE TO THE STAGE BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO MOVE IT VERY MUCH, AND YOU WANT IT TO BE ACCLIMATED TO THE.
TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY AND EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE STAGE SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RETUNED ALL THE TIME.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE CONSIDERING WHEN WE GET INTO DESIGN.
AND I THINK, AND THIS MIGHT BE LATER TOO, BUT I JUST WANT TO BRING IT UP, IS IT CALLED THE GAFFERS, THE SET DROPS ON THE STAGING? IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED, THE GAFFER? THE FLIES.
IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED? I DON'T KNOW THE TERM.
ON THE STAGE WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY'LL BE STAGE RIGGING, BATTENS WHICH CAN COME UP AND DOWN AND ALLOW YOU TO PUT SCENERY, LIGHTING, AUDIO PROJECTION.
BUT THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE COST? YES IT IS.
OKAY AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS INCLUDED BECAUSE SOME OF THE STAGE PRODUCTIONS THAT WE WENT TO, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT SYSTEM OF DOING MULTIPLE DROPS.
YEAH, NO, WE'VE GOT, I MEAN, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE EQUIPMENT IN HERE FOR, LIKE, HIGH-END, YOU KNOW, PRODUCTIONS.
WE WILL HAVE MORE LINES THAN THAT.
OUR ASSUMPTION, STARTING POINT.
SO, AGAIN, WE NEED TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT COST, AND EVENTUALLY WE'LL GET TO THOSE LEVELS OF EQUIPMENT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S INCLUDED AND NOT AN EXTRA TAG ON LATER.
AND I'LL ALSO SAY WHEN WE GET INTO THOSE EQUIPMENT DISCUSSIONS, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO BE TO DESIGN THE SIZE OF THE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, DESIGN THE SIZE OF THE STRUCTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO EVEN IF WE SAID RATHER THAN PUTTING IN 40 LINES, DAY ONE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN 30 LINES, THE STRUCTURE WOULD ALLOW THOSE TO BE ADDED LATER.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
THINKING AHEAD TO WHAT THE FUTURE IS AND WHAT THAT GROWTH IS, THESE ALL ASSUME THAT THE BUILDING WILL EVOLVE AS IT'S LIVED IN.
AND, MAYOR, IF I COULD, JUST TO INTERJECT, I WANT TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T TRY TO DESIGN THE BUILDING TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, JUST WHEN WE SEE THE PRICING POINT, DOES IT INCLUDE THAT OR I WOULD HATE FOR IT TO BE LATER ON TAGGED ON.
IT'S JUST THE SHELL AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A HIGHER END.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMAGE THAT I JUST CALLED UP IN THE PRESENTATION, LIKE ALL OF THE STUFF THAT YOU SEE IN THAT IMAGE, ALL THE LINES, ALL THE DRAPES, ALL THE LIGHTS, ALL THE BATTENS THAT MOVE UP AND DOWN THAT YOU CAN HANG SETS AND BACKDROPS AND SCENERY ON, YOUR FACILITY IN OUR CURRENT BUDGETING HAS ALL OF THAT.
WE'VE ASSUMED ALL OF THAT IN THE COST.
WHAT PLACE IS THAT? THIS IS ACTUALLY A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THAT WE JUST FINISHED OUTSIDE OF PORTLAND, OREGON FOR A COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF PORTLAND.
IT'S ATTACHED TO A HIGH SCHOOL.
SO IT'S ABOUT A 700, 650, 700 SEAT FACILITY.
SO MAYOR, IF I COULD, A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
I WANT TO SHARE WHAT WE PICTURE AS KIND OF THESE BIG ROCKS AND THESE NEXT STEPS THAT WE CAN PROCEED OFF OF.
GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT, MICHAEL, IF YOU CAN GO TO SLIDE 52, I THINK IT'S THE OPTION E, TIED FROM THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, TRYING TO PULL THOSE TOGETHER, THAT $75 MILLION MARK IS A TARGET.
AND I'VE HEARD CONSENSUS AROUND LOOKING AT THE CONCEPT OF PHASING AND HOW SOME OF THESE OTHER ELEMENTS CAN BE BROUGHT ON LATER.
WHAT WE CAN DO OFF OF THAT NUMBER THAT PUTS US IN A POSITION TO START WORKING ON THAT BUSINESS PLAN, WHICH IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO LET US KNOW WHAT THOSE OPERATING COSTS ARE, AND WE CAN MAYBE START ANSWERING SOME OF THESE MORE KIND OF OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. WE CAN START WORKING ON THAT. ALSO, AS PART OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE BROADER BUDGET IMPLICATIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. WE KIND OF SHARED THAT BROAD COMPONENT OF HOW THE TURS WILL FUND IT.
[02:45:03]
WORK ON JUST THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF HOW THIS ALIGNS WITH JUST BROADER BUDGET IMPLICATIONS AND OUR ABILITY WILL ACCELERATE, YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO GO TO A VOTER ELECTION OR THERE'S WAYS WE CAN GO AROUND IT SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. AND GENERALLY, WE CAN'T COME BACK ON THE 20TH BECAUSE THAT AGENDA IS ALREADY POSTED. WE CAN TARGET A MAY MEETING, POTENTIALLY AN ITEM ON MAY 4TH OR WE HAVE A I KNOW WHY YOU WANT MAY 4TH. WE CAN CERTAINLY TRY TO DO THAT, BUT ALSO WE HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, BE IT THE 18TH REGULAR MEETING AND THEN THERE'S A WORK SESSION ON 21ST. SO I THINK THAT FOR US AS A STAFF, WE HAVE A SENSE OF IT. AND WHAT I'M JUST LOOKING FOR, HEAD NODS THAT WE'RE BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING ANY FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENTS THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT. SO 75-ISH MILLION, LOOKING AT THOSE COMPONENTS THAT ARE UP THERE, LOOKING AT THE PHASING.AND THEN WE CAN START TO WORK ON THE BUSINESS PLAN. YEAH.
THAT'S GOOD. YEP. THAT'S GOOD.
DID YOU NEED TO ADD ANYTHING MORE BEFORE I CLOSE THIS OUT? IS THERE ANYTHING? I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I REALLY ENJOYED THE CONVERSATION. I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THOUGHTFULLY YOU'RE ALL CONSIDERING THIS, AND ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKING ARE REALLY SMART QUESTIONS. I HOPE NONE OF MY ANSWERS WAS I ATTEMPTING TO SUGGEST. THAT YOU WEREN'T ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS. WE'RE REALLY EARLY IN THIS PROCESS, SO I ALSO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVEN'T STARTED DESIGNING THIS BUILDING YET, SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU TODAY THAT'S FIXED IN STONE, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU AND FOR THE BROADER COMMUNITY TO GIVE INPUT ALONG THE WAY.
THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU, CULTURAL ARTS. IT WAS THE OLD ARTS COMMISSION THAT HAD THE TOUGH JOB OF EDITING DOWN THE FEATURE SET TO FIT THAT BUDGET, AND THAT WAS THE HARD WORK.
SO, YOU GUYS DID REALLY WELL, AND I WATCHED YOUR WHOLE MEETING, AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD, AND YOU DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING.
SO, WELL DONE. MICHAEL, RICHARD, KIMBERLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT PRESENTATION. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. OKAY, THE TIME IS NOW 8:47. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.