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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-04-23 City CouncilCity of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO: FROM: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE: SUBJECT: APRIL 23, 2001 CMR: 138:01 PERFORMING ARTS FEASIBILITY STUDY This is an informational report and no Council action is required. This report updates the Council on the resultsof the Stanford/City of Palo Alto Performing Arts Center feasibility study. BACKGROUND ¯ In May 1999, then-Stanford President Casper and then-Mayor Gary Fazzino agreed that it would be useful for a delegation from Stanford and a delegation from Palo Alto to explore the feasibility and desirability of collaborating with respect to the construction of a new performing arts center. Stanford’s interest lies in replacing aging facilities such as its Memorial Auditorium. The City’s interest is in response to community concerns that Palo Alto is in danger of losing TheatreWorks, which was born in Palo Alto thirty years ago, unless suitable and modem permanent performing arts space can be built in Palo Alto. Several exploratory meetings were held by an ad-hoc committee to candidly discuss the needs and wants of Stanford and the City of Palo Alto to determine if there was sufficient common, interest to warrant further consideration of a jointly supported performing arts center. Representing the City were then-Mayor Gary Fazzino and Councilmember Sandy Eakins as well as staff members Leon Kaplan and Richard James, of the Community Services Department. The Committee determined that there was sufficient interest to proceed further. The Council approved an expenditure of $50,000, to be pooled with an equal amount of Stanford funding, to conduct a feasibility study to explore such issues as funding, potential sites, construction costs, programming, and governance. A nationally known theatre consultant, Auerbach and Associates, was retained to conduct the feasibility study. On June 20, 2000, Auerbach and Associates submitted its draft of the Programming and Financial Feasibility Study for the proposed performing arts facilities. The Executive Summary of the draft study is attached (Attachment A). The Programming and Financial Feasibility Study identifies three independent facilities and CMR:I38:01 Page 1 of 3 management structures. The third facility, the Palo Alto Theatre Center, a performing arts center intended to become the resident home for Palo Alto’s TheatreWorks, is the subject of this report. DISCUSSION The Palo Alto Theatre Center is conceived around the concept of a resident professional theatre company. The proposed resident is TheatreWorks. The Palo AltoTheatre Center, sited on E1 Camino Park, would include an 800-seat proscenium theatre equipped with a high level of technical support, as well as a 300-seat experimental studio theatre. The study proposes that the Palo Alto Theatre Center would be owned by the City of Palo Alto and managed by TheatreWorks. The feasibility study’s recommendations present the City-of Palo with some challenges, .should the City wish to pursue the development of a Palo Alto Theatre. First and foremost the proposed site, E1 Camino Park, must be secured. El Camino Park is owned by Stanford University and leased to the City for $1.00 per year. The lease with Stanford University, due to expire in 2033, would need to be appropriately revised to take into account both a parcel and a use charge. In addition, either a vote of the residents or Council approval is required to construct such a facility on park land. Second, the City must. determine if TheatreWorks would be prepared to engage in a capital campaign to construct a new performing arts center. The study concludes the cost of the project is estimated at $46 million in 2000 dollars. Given the Council direction on prioritizing taking care of the current infrastructure backlog over construction of new infrastructure, staff envisions that the cost of constructing would be borne by TheatreWorks through private fundraising efforts. The City would then need to negotiate an agreement with TheatreWorks to determine the ¯ governance and ownership of the facility. POLICY IMPLICATIONS As mentioned previously, Council’.s policy direction has been to prioritize funding existing infrastructure needs over funding new infrastructure. Acquisition or site control of E1 Camino Park at no cost to the City and capital construction financed entirely by TheatreWorks would be consistent with this policy. In addition, the nature of a public/private partnership with TheatreWorks; opportunities for joint fundraising with Stanford University; use of El Camino Park, given its status as dedicated parkland; and the impact on the General Fund of the ongoing operational costs of the Theatre Center, if it is built, are all potential policy issues. CMR:138:01 Page 2 of 3 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A:The Programming Summary and Financial Feasibility Study-Executive PREPARED BY: KAPLAN Director, Arts and Culture DEPARTMENT HEAD: PAUL THILTGEN Director, Community Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY 3N Assistant City Manager CMR:138:01 Page 3 of 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Study Team for the Palo Alto / Stanford University Performing Arts Initiotive is pleased to present this program and feasibility study for proposed’performing arts facilities. The purpose of the study is to determine the feasibility of a project, cooperative in nature, and specific in purpose to enrich the cultural opportunities .for the immediate Palo Alto and Stanford University communities as well the region. Our findings are based on an assessment of campus and community performing arts entities both academic and professional. We first completed a Needs Analysis based on the objectives and desires identified by the leadership of various academic and civic organizations. A direction for this project was previously established by a cursory programming effort initiated by a joint understanding among certain Palo Alto and Stanford University leaders. Our findings point toward a feasible and compelling undertakir!g~ The Study Team has worked independently and positively to develop recommendations that we feel are well founded and based on practical experience, information made available by the study participants and an understanding of the potential for such a project in this region. More than seventy individuals participated in interviews and provided vital information. We were asked to verify several early assumptions. Initial project concept~ called for a major unified performing arts complex on a single site, serving numerous diverse constituencies. There was an intent to satisfy academic needs, to enrich culture on campus and the community, to meet the needs for facilities to support a professional theatre company, to provide an alternate venue for the San Francisco Symphony and to satisfy other dreams that were put forth. Some of these initial cues have proven to be e.xtremely viable and essential, while others have not. The thought of a mega complex has not proven to be feasible for several reasons. Most significantly, there is no single site available that is able to accommodate the required facilities. In addition, the individual functions require clearly defined management of what prove to be discrete and incompatible operations. This has led us to recommend a tri-part structure of facilities and management on separate sites that can be collectively termed the Palo Alto / Stanford University Performing Arts Initiative. FINDINGS The following statements summarize our findings and describe a picture of what the Study Team recommends as a feasible program and operating structure. The Palo Ait0 / Stanford University Performing Arts Initiative presents a wonderful opportunity to achieve an enriched civic and campus cultural environment and to create’a regional center for performing arts that serves the greater community. Palo Alto has a rich cultural history, strong performing arts institutions in need of facilities, a discerning audience, and a regional location central to a significant population base, maior established institutions and transportation systems. These elements contribute to both defining the need for new and enhanced cultural facilities and to creating a strong sense of confidence that the proposed cultural initiatives wil! achieve success. ¯The pursuit of this proiect is entirely feasible. A successful project would be supported by strategic capital, endowment and ongoing annual fundraising efforts and the development of a triopart structure for facility and program management. Executive Summary Page I This project can be a catalyst for transforming the City of Palo Alto’s traditional significant level of support for the arts to an even higher level by creating a home for Tt~eatreWorks and making existing venues more accessible to other indigenous organizations. TheatreWorks has earned a fine reputation and has demonstrated its professional prominence to the point of warranting a dedicated resident facility. This is commensurate with other evolving and well established regional theatres throughout the country. The nature of the performing arts programs that the Study Team determined to be feasible dictates three independent facilities and management structures, One will be purely academic and underthe purview ofthe School of the Humanities and Sciences. A second can be a catalyst for bringing first class performing arts presentations to the campus and community, including professional companies such as the San Francisco Symphony. This large-scale performing arts facility demands a much broader management and operating entity than what is needed to support the existing programs of Stanford Lively Arts and Stanford Events. This enhanced structure must include services to both the professional and the academic arts communities. The third facility will reflect Palo Alto’s commitment to support and enhance local professional and community based organizations, such as TheatreWorks. The results of our findings suit a tri-part organization and conveniently relate to three specific buildings and sites. Site One is appropriate for major performing arts venues at a central campus location. Site Two is a community based location closely related to the "main gate" and truly connected to the City of Palo Alto. The third facility is academically based focusing on meeting the needs of faculty and student programs. The Study Team’s assessment of facility utilization suggests that each proposed venue will be active and vibrant. Numerous opportunities exist for building beneficial connections between City and University programs through shared use of venues by performers and audiences. The assessment of~he economic feasibility of ongoing programmatic and facility operations is based on the Study Team’s detailed analysis ofvari0us elements of revenues and expenses. The financial operation of each of the three venues is forecast separately, thereby creating discrete business plans for each component of the Performing Arts Initiative. This report includes detailed documentation of the financial analysis including identification of annual operating budgets and funding requirements. Numerous opportunities for program growth and .development were identified through the study process. First class performance and teaching facilities will have an immediate and lasting impact on the quality and scope of existing programs. The Study Team developed recomme.ndations for identifying and analyzing other programmatic opportunities, the pursuit of which will further enhance the project’s utilization rates and financial resources. Both the "needs" and. "wishes" relating to each project component have been weighed carefully. We have respected the interests of each entity we studied. In some cases we flr~d it appropriate to meet only a portion of the "wish list" offered by an organization or academic department. For other groups, we have actually recommended more than the requested facilities. We. believe the program we have presented is "balanced". Executive Summary Page 2 CONCEPTS The following three concepts must be viewed as a singular endeavor that meets identified and critical needs in four contexts - Regional Cultural, Civic and Academic. The Stanford Performing Arts Center The Stanford Performing Arts Center is conceived to provide the University and the local and regional communities with majo~ facilities for the presentation of both a wide variety of professionally oriented events and performances by accomplished University performing groups. The Stanford Performing Arts Center would be comprised of three performance spaces. The primary space would be an 1,800 seat multi- purpose Music Theatre with first-class concert acoustics. This space would accommodate opera, ballet, lyric theatre and popular and symphonic music. The mid-sized space would be a 900 seat committed Concert Hall dedicated to f, iee music with conversion capabilities for dance and a variety of non-music presentations. The space that is the key to "unlocking the schedule" is a Forum Rehearsal Hall capable of supporting a variety of uses from orchestra and visiting company rehearsals to intimate new music performances, multi-media presentations and social functions. Full administrative offices for the managing organization and essential performance support facilities would be provided in the venue. Public spaces of high quality yet non-elitist in character would carefully integrate this facility with the campus architecture. This venue may be viewed as an enterprise unit at Stanford University. Assuch, it will be professionally managed with a strong component of c~arefully integrated academic access, particularly to the Concert Hall and the Forum/Rehearsal Hall. ¯There would be no’resident performing groups in this facility. It-would function as a touring facility that is suitably equipped for campus produced events. ¯This entire facility most appropriately would be located at the intersection of Lasuen and Campus Loop Drives adjacent to the Alumni Center with an Open plaza and a major entry axis to Museum Way. ¯At this location the Stanford Performing Arts Center would se.rve as the prime icon for the performing arts at Stanford University, The Palo Alto Theatre Center The Palo Alto Theatre Center is conceived around the concept of a resident.professional theatre company. The appropriate proposed prime resident is TheatreWorks, Off-season access by other community based arts groups is essential to properly serve the broader Palo Alto arts community. ¯The Palo Alto Theatre Center would include an 800 seat proscenium theatre equipped with a high level of technical support, A 300 seat experimental studio theatre would also be included. ¯Full performance support facilities would be provided with basic administrative offices. These would include dressing and warm-up rooms as well as rehearsal spaces and storage facilities Executive Summary Page 3 ¯No production scenery or costume construction facilities are envisioned to be on this site. ¯The Palo Alto Theatre Center would be placedon Site Two on El Camino Real. ¯The Palo Alto Theatre Center would be managed by TheatreWorks. The Drama-Dance Center The Drama-Dance Center is envisioned to be the prime teaching and performing venue supporting the drama and dance curriculum, This complex of spaces is comprised of the adaptive reuse of Roble Gym combined with appended new performance and production facilities. The academic demand, together with a limited requirement for access to the major spaces by community organizations, fully justifies this part of the project as a central element of the Performing Arts Initiative. Roble Gym would be converted to house several dance studios, onebeing a recital studio. In addition it would be possible to house all faculty offices, seminar and classrooms, the dance dressing facilities and the costume production spaces in the .facility The new building would house the Drama-Dance Theatre, the Studio Theatre and the Performance Lab. ¯The facility would include teaching spaces, acting classrooms and rehearsal spaces, ¯Full scenic production facilities, including scenery construction and paint shops, would service the theatres directly and also offer ideal teaching resources. ¯.The Drama and [Sauce Departments would manage these spaces under the auspices of the School of the Humanities and Scierices. RELEASE SPACES With the realization of the proposed new. facilities there will be certain spaces currently utilized by various performing groups that will become available for use by other users. Modest renovations may be required to accommodate new and expanded uses. These spaces are considered vital to the overall health and success of the Performing Arts Initiative, The utilization calendar for Memorial Auditorium is likely to be almost completely released for new uses, with the exception of the radio station. Memorial Auditorium is seen as the prime venu6 for a major number of student activities performance groups. This includes housing certain organization’s offices and support activities in the building. The roadblock to the full utilization of Memorial Auditorium is the lack acoustical isolation between’the Auditorium and the Little Theatre. A realistic and relatively low cost solution is to use the stage as a new small rehearsal facility by building a box within a box construction. This rehearsal room would serve Student Activities groups quite well. The audience area of the Little Theatre could be easily converted into a multi media lecture hall with 250 seats. Executive Summary Page 4 Dinkelspiel Auditorium is not c~onsidered a release space even though many of the rehearsals and some performance activities scheduled in the venue will likely relocate to the Stanford Pen~orming Arts Center. Continued and expanded use by the Music Department and Student Activities would fill up Dinkelspiel Auditorium’s schedule. The quality of the space would require renovation to continue to function properly. The Palo Alto Lucie Stem C.ommunity Theatre would become available to other community perfon’nance groups with the departure of TheatreWorks. The Lucie Stem Theatre has long . needed significant upgrades that should be pursued aggressively in the context of this proiect COST OF CONSTRUCTION The cost of construction is based on the program of spaces for each of the venues described above. These costs are described on a per site basis and collectively as an overall cost. The costs are considered to be complete with the exclusion of the cost of land acquisition, the cost of integration with utility systems, unidentified University and City oven~ead charges, and funding and financing costs often associated with such projects, Proiect Gross Area The total programmed areas for all three sites are: The Stanford Performing Arts Center Programmed areas Non- Programmed areas 131,175 gsf 39,650 gsf ¯ -.TOTAL The Palo Alto Theatre. Center 170,825 gsf Drama-Dance Center Programmed areas Non-programmed areas 67,235 gsf 29,950 gsf TOTAL 97,185 gsf Programmed areas renovation Non-programmed areas renovation TOTAL Renovation Programmed areas/new const. - Non-programmed areas/new const. TOTAL New Constru~ion 32,315 gsf 7,700 gsf 40,015 gsf 52,795 gsf 26,200 gsf 78,995 gsf Executive Summary Page 5 Proiect Construction Cost Donnell Consultants Incorporat.ed (DCI), as a member of the Auerbach ÷ Associates Inc.’s project team, contributes the Program Analysis and Capital Cost Budget as a workJng document for consideration by the Client and Team. It includes several assumptions, all of which DCI has attempted to describe herein, for discussion with and possible modification by the Client and Team. DCI advises, following a careful .analysis and pricing of the Auerbach ÷ Associates Inc.’s program, coupled with Stanford/Palo Alto area construction market cost research, that the proposed University facilities program can be achieved for a Bid Cost of $101,650,000 for the Stanford Performiag Arts Center and a Bid Cost of $41,800,000 for the Dance-Drama Center. These are proiected in November 2002 bid dollars~ all within certain conditions and criteria. The Palo Alto Theatre Center program can be achieved for a Construction Bid Cost of $45,850,000, all within certain conditions and criteria as documented. These budgets are exclusive of "soft costs" Executive Summary Page 6