Performing arts center task force starts work : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — A task force of city business and arts leaders began its work today to study the feasibility of building a downtown performing arts center.

The task force, convened by the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro at the request of the Greensboro City Council, will look at whether such a center is feasible, what type of center the city needs, and how it would affect the local economy.

If the city council pursues the idea of a downtown performance center, much of its cost could be financed by about $30 million in bonds and $11 million in hotel and motel tax revenue. The task force also will explore raising about $8 million to $10 million in private money to pay for the rest.

“This is about the soul of our community, about how we are going to feed it to grow and thrive as a 21st century community,” Community Foundation President Walker Sanders told 55 task force members gathered at the Greensboro Downtown Marriott.

“Many people have questioned why we are doing this in this economy,” Sanders added. “This is the right time. We have let this issue fester for way too long and let our differences in the past polarize us to do nothing.”

For the city council, the issue is whether to put a bond referendum for building a downtown performance center on the November ballot. If it decides that it is not feasible, it would explore replacing War Memorial Auditorium in the Greensboro Coliseum complex.

“As you look around this room, and you’ll see a lot of different interests,” Sanders said. “Those who are for a performing arts center, those who are against it. Those who have been for putting it downtown, those who have been for putting it at the War Memorial Auditorium complex ... This task force is bringing all those perspectives.”

He said that task force meetings will be open to the community. The task force also will hold three community forums in March, April and May.

The group doesn’t have much time to finish its work. It will give its preliminary report to the city council May 15, so that the city council has enough time to take required steps to put it on the November ballot.

Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 373-5204 or dawn.kane@news-record.com

timflowers

February 16, 2012 - 12:54 pm EST

We have to do what's right for our city, and sitting back while Raleigh, Durham, and Charlotte leap further and further ahead of us isn't the right thing. It's time to either build a performing arts center or replace the War Memorial Auditorium. Doing nothing is no longer an option.

Traveler

February 16, 2012 - 3:04 pm EST

Why not?

The cost of $40,000,000 or more for a toy for a few thousand mostly white, mostly upper income people to watch performing arts seems like a waste to me.

It's not a necessity. It would be a luxury.

Luxuries should not be the responsibility of the taxpayers.

If the Performing Arts Center is so important, why not let the few throusand mostly white, mostly upper income people pay for it. A simple way would be to add a fee, say $10, to each ticket.

dusenberry

February 16, 2012 - 1:37 pm EST

This project would be great for east Greensboro. What a great way to build the area and give everyone
the chance to participate.

Abner Doon

February 16, 2012 - 2:12 pm EST

Yes Weekly's Eric Ginsburg on the Downtown PAC: Anybody hear about how our homeless child population just doubled?

http://triadwatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/yes-weeklys-eric-ginsburg-on-down...

February 16, 2012 - 3:24 pm EST

How to get Greensboro's uninformed poor to fund a PAC for those who may profit from stealing from our children?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-get-greensboros-uninformed-p...

February 16, 2012 - 8:53 pm EST

Dear Walker Sanders: Please disclose the statistical data behind these statements on the Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force

http://triadwatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/dear-walker-sanders-please-disclo...

DonMoore

February 16, 2012 - 10:29 pm EST

The Deck is STACKED. The only question is WHERE this PAC will be built. Since we don't have a REAL say; how about determining that this facility will only be built if it operates at a profit. Since we don't have any experience in generating money, only taxing it. Charge Matt Brown to make the coliseum profitable, then build the PAC with the coliseum's profits.

lskafori

February 16, 2012 - 10:54 pm EST

We have a say, we need to start withholding tax dollars for idiotic projects we neither want nor need--they can't lock us all up. Seriously, we need a moratorium where only property owners can vote on bond referendums. We have people voting these bonds in, all the while knowing, they will not be responsible for paying the bill. They are manipulating our income.

With Robbie Perkins at the helm, we'll be lucky if we can eat once we finish paying bond referendum-generated property taxes. Perkins isn't a tax and spend democrat, he's a spend-tax-spend-tax-spend-tax-spend-tax-spend-tax-spend-tax idealist, who thinks that by creating these tax-dependent projects, Greensboro will grow--WRONG. We'll be a beautiful city of homelessness, with tons of recreational venues, but no money to participate.

February 16, 2012 - 10:45 pm EST

$40,000,000 would employ 1333.33 people, at a rate of $30,000 per year. Our leaders, if you can call them that, need to get real, and stop the damn pet projects that raise property taxes. Those 1333.33 people could be law enforcement officers. Each day when I leave for work, I pray that my home and possessions will be intact when I return. The city is going to hell in a hand basket, and our leaders want to watch ballet.

February 17, 2012 - 1:47 am EST

Good comment.

February 16, 2012 - 11:07 pm EST

"This is about the soul of our community, about how we are going to feed it to grow and thrive as a 21st century community,” Community Foundation President Walker Sanders told 55 task force members gathered at the Greensboro Downtown Marriott." Hey Sanders, how about feeding the hungry and homeless that struggle to survive on a daily basis? Seriously, how can Greensboro consider investing $40,000,000 into something so frivolous, when so many of it's citizens are suffering. It wasn't that long ago that tax payers funded the ill-fated Coliseum renovation, it as a total disaster and, ultimately, caused the city to privatize it. However, we do have the coliseum and it continues to serve us well. The coliseum hosts the big arena, the war memorial auditorium, the special events center, and the new amphitheatre. WHY DO WE NEED A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER DOWNTOWN?!!!

February 17, 2012 - 1:51 am EST

It's Robbie, Yvonne, and the Perkettes. They seem to want big government for Greensboro. So many people did not like the Knight administration. Well, you got what you wanted. No Knight. Robbie in charge of a bunch of left of center coucil members.

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