Today's meeting lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. Today they concentrated on whether the Performing Arts Center should be at Mountain View or Lake View and I believe it was quickly determined that Lake View was not really an option when you consider the dollars available. The architect said that building a brand new PAC building, whether it was built at Mountain View or Lake View, would cost about $35 million dollars. That pretty much makes the decision that a remodel/renovation of the existing building at Mountain View is pretty much the only option that will, (hopefully) fall with the budget. Also, it seems that the first two scheduled Town Hall Meetings may be postponed to a later date so that the architect has enough time to compile sufficient information and more definitive data can be presented at those Town Halls. Next: Since I'm not a theater-goer, I need a little help in understanding something. The subject about the new PAC having sufficient space for a rehearsal stage came-up a couple times. Question: What's the need for the extra required space for a rehearsal stage? I'm sure that the theater will not be so abundantly utilized to the extent where the players couldn't just schedule an off-time to use the actual stage??? What am I missing. Next: An interesting PBS report from Linda McIntyre that kinda explains how the Covid pandemic killed the local theaters! https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/a...ters-fighting-to-save-their-historic-art-form
Nice review of the meeting today. My smart-aleck response on extra stage is because Sun City West has one. But seriously, I’m guessing that it may be a want not a need.
The PBS article provides insight into the struggles community theaters of all sizes are facing. It's worth the time to read. I think most of us agree music, dance, and theater all contribute to making our lives and our community a better place to live. Now, we need to come together, use all available sources of information, and determine how we can provide the best venue for a PAC within our means.
Thanks to you all for attending the meetings and posting your thoughts. It is very helpful for us who are not there to attend. It helps keep us up to date on important topics.
I also just remembered they talked about the extra stage in some of the earlier meetings. You might check those early videos.
Dang, couldn't attend the meeting yesterday, i will be sure to watch it back once posted. I've written for months now the rubber would meet the road once we started talking new build numbers. It doesn't matter where they put it, Mountain View or Lakeview, if the 35 million dollar price tag is even close to being accurate. We simply don't have that kind of money for the PAC. Investing that much would put everything else in limbo at MV and that cannot and should not happen. I know the whine will be this wouldn't have happened if we hadn't stalled out Option 2. However, as Karen noted at the Exchange meeting, had we stayed the course no construction would have begun yet and all of these massive costs would have blown up in our face. Throw in the PBS link provided above and one can quickly come to understand why there is some skepticism. I had read a similar report from one of the wire services a month or two back. The pandemic crushed small theaters and some larger ones as well. The Option 2 that the 2022 board approved had a practice stage/room adjacent to the theater. If you go back and look at the artists renderings, there wasn't much it didn't have as those board members were vying for votes and were willing to offer anything and everything to win the election. Oddly they were trounced which should have been a wake-up call for those who continue to clamor for it all. The real question now becomes what can be done with the existing building and what will it cost. This architect, from the start sounded like she favored remodeling and renovating existing spaces. Nothing wrong with that, if the building's bones are good and if it is salvageable. In fact, the plans shown from 1998 to enhance the existing building were interesting and could add to the size and layout significantly. The point of the off-stage performance area is so the Players Club can practice while other performance groups are able to use the stage. The question really becomes, as noted, is it a need or a want? Are they willing to give up numbers of seats to get the added room for off-stage practices? Lots of questions and lots to be decided in the coming months.
The National Endowment for the Arts gives grants for projects, including construction, for theaters, art galleries, etc. I am wondering why RCSC and the RCSC Foundation aren't looking for some outside funding. I talked to Bill Cook about it this spring, but he didn't think RCSC would be able to get money because we had so much unspent money. I argued otherwise. There are many entities, including not for profit organizations such as universities with huge endowments, that have much more money than RCSC and they receive grants. If you visit their website, you will learn that they have funded over $13 Million over the past five years for AZ projects. https://www.arts.gov/impact/state-profiles/arizona Why shouldn't RCSC be trying to apply for some of that money either as a not for profit 503 (c) 4 or through the RCSC Foundation which is a 501(c)3? I would think that the NDA would want to help senior citizens enjoy the arts, too. It is possible that Sun City could already have built a nice Performing Arts Center ,partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, if this funding source had been sought earlier. Let's not wait any longer! There is an Arizona Commission for the Arts that is associated with the National Endowment. Check it out at their websites (links below). https://azarts.gov/ https://www.arts.gov/
Thanks Janet, very interesting. This is something that needs to be sent to the new GM as well as the chair & co-chairs of the SAC committee. They need to hire somebody with experience in grants to apply and see where it goes. The RCSC's cash surplus will soon be used-up within the budget to fix the maintenance issues that have long since been neglected.
Retractable seating is another way to free up space for other groups. In this day and age, the seats I believe can be designed for comfort. If not, maybe the Players can allow more breaks for us old folks to stretch a bit during the performances.
I'm with you Tom. Retractable seating would allow the set-up of a diner-theater environment as well as maintaining a flat floor. Most people think of retractable seating as something similar to what we had in our high school gymnasium. https://www.husseyseating.com/telescopic-seating/seatway-tp/
Sorry it took a while to get back to you Bill on your response to me unfortunately I had a fall. Anyway what I meant is that anybody who does not have a ID AKA driver's license that has a Sun City address or proof of mail going to a residence in Sun City should be required to pay at least up to $1,000 each to use our facilities golf courses pickleball courses lawn bowls etc. I promise you this would alleviate a lot of problems especially with golf. As we all know because I'm sure someone's going to say something in regards to this I understand a lot of folks are not on the deed of the residence but maybe the husband is or the wife is you know what I'm saying but regardless of that your driver's license if you live here permanently should have that address on it and if you're visiting here as a snowbird your mail 99% of the time comes to the address where you're living in Sun City maybe $1,000 is too much cut it in half it saves us members money it helps pay for maintenance costs salaries. You all understand and know that the next election when there's a vote there's a lot of very very upset people in Sun City we know who they are so we don't have to dwell on the bullshit but the board's going to change I did hear about it when I was at Bell recently won't be going there for a while lol. Anyway here's my response everybody have a good Sunday and God bless!
“You all understand and know that the next election when there's a vote there's a lot of very very upset people in Sun City we know who they are so we don't have to dwell on the bullshit but the board's going to change I did hear about it when I was at Bell recently…” ~ Say What Hmm, coming soon, Candidacy announcement next month Spirited campaigns Record election participation Current board directors returning in 2024: Fimmel, McAdam- Final year of 2022-24 terms Collins, Fast, Totten - Second year of 2023-25 term Four directors to be elected: Three year term 2024-26 - Three One year term 2024 - One Election influencer groups: E N C O R E ! Definition: exclamation called out by an audience at the end of a concert or theater production to request an additional performance F O R E ! Definition: exclamation called out as a warning to people in the path of a golf ball.
