| By
Ray Stern, Tribune
As the soaring towers of the new Mesa Arts Center rise, so do the
hopes of backers who expect the $94 million project to lift an
underachieving downtown area.
“It serves a larger purpose,” said Tony Felice, Mesa
redevelopment manager. “It’s an economic development tool.”
The facility’s physical construction is proceeding on schedule,
officials said. Simultaneously, the grunt work is being paralleled
by efforts to develop and find market niches for the myriad events
and instructional classes that will be held at the center, expected
to open in the spring of 2005.
For now, the 7-acre site between Center Street and Sirrine just
south of Main Street still looks rough, with its barricades,
scaffolding and earth-moving equipment. But the most noticeable
features of the construction project — tall, subtly rounded
concrete walls and lower structures thrusting from the earth at odd
angles — are clear evidence this will be no ordinary building
complex.
“Eventually, that skyline is going to be part and parcel of what
people think of when they think of Mesa,” Felice said.
In about two weeks, crews are expected to top out the highest part
of the complex — a 110-foot “fly tower” that will be used to
rig props and lighting for the largest of four theaters, said Joe
McCormack of Kitchell Development, the man overseeing the center’s
construction.
The largest buildings will keep their stark gray concrete color
after being finished, except for large panels of blue, green and
gold stucco that will brighten the upper facades.
Much of the classroom and administration building is up as well, but
envisioning the man-made arroyo, tree-lined “Shadow Walk” and
lavish outdoor gardens that will evolve from the debris-strewn site
is still difficult.
“It’s quite a facility,” McCormack said at his portable office
just west of Sirrine. “It’s pretty unique because of all the
elements. It’s a complete cultural arts community.”
What the center is ultimately used for and attracting the artists,
teachers, music lovers, theatergoers and others is the purview of
Gerry Fathauer, Mesa arts and cultural director.
“My most important function is to make sure we keep our eye on the
vision, and be able to pull together all the disparate pieces that
are going to make this work,” Fathauer said. “We’re really on
track.”
Mesa’s art culture isn’t starting from scratch, after all. The
existing arts center offers 600 classes a year that will move into
the new facility, she said.
Staff members already coordinate gallery exhibits and small theater
productions.
Fathauer’s staff will oversee the augmentation of that scene.
Additional staff and “programming” — meaning the events that
will eventually be scheduled — will still be needed for the two
largest theaters, she said.
To find out what residents within a 30-minute drive of the arts
center will want to see and do, the city recently paid Montana-based
consultant Louise Stevens of ArtsMarket to analyze demographics and
“clusters” of similar-minded people in the East Valley.
“That will give us a good read on what particular segments and
clusters might be more apt to attend the arts,” said Julia
DeHesus, marketing director for the center. “This is where we will
concentrate marketing efforts for certain kinds of programming.”
Stevens will be in Mesa in August to work with people involved in
the art-oriented groups that will need her data and expertise,
DeHesus said.
One of the biggest unknowns is exactly how the arts center will
vitalize downtown.
Felice said interest from people wanting to start businesses in the
area has increased in the last two years, but the city does not
monitor how closely that interest is tied to the arts center.
Clearly, the 500,000 to 750,000 people expected to visit the center
annually will need and want to find good places to eat or get a
drink after listening to a symphony or watching a play, especially
in the evening.
But downtown currently offers few such amenities. So will all those
people just get back in their cars and drive home after their visit?
It’s certainly a problem right now, said Crista Cloutier, the
director of Segura Art at 51 E. Main St.
Segura Art, located a stone’s throw from the arts center
construction site, was voted the “Best Off-the-Beaten-Track
Gallery” in the latest issue of Phoenix magazine.
Cloutier said that after some evening art shows her gallery has
hosted, she’s been stumped when patrons asked for ideas about a
place to eat nearby.
“They need some funky places,” Cloutier said. “Sometimes I get
discouraged, but I think (downtown Mesa) has so much potential.”
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