Commission approves plans to help fund Walton Arts Center renovations, regional park
A conceptual rendering shows what an expanded Walton Arts Center could look like at the corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue in Fayetteville
Courtesy graphic
Advertising and Promotion commissioners approved plans on Monday to help fund Walton Arts Center renovations and a regional park in southwest Fayetteville.
The plans include submitting a proposal to the City Council that would extend voter-approved bonds, and spending $600,000 in commission reserves.
Bond proposal
The bond proposal comes from a plan originally proposed by Marilyn Heifner, the group’s executive director.
Heifner estimated that $11.3 million could be raised by extending bonds voters approved in 1997 to build the Fayetteville Town Center. Heifner’s plan is to pay off the Town Center debt and use the remaining money generated to jointly help fund the arts center’s Dickson Street expansion plans and a planned regional park off Cato Springs Road. The proposal suggests giving $6.5 million to the Walton Arts Center and $3.258 million to the city to help build the park.
If approved, the Walton Arts Center money would go toward an estimated $20 million construction project, which includes a new facade and entryway at the corner of West Avenue, a larger lobby, an expanded Starr Theatre, additional backstage space, and a re-configured Rosen Memorial Rose Garden.
With some UA performances moving to the new on-campus concert hall, Walton Arts Center officials have said the center will be able to host shows for about 25 more days each year. When combined with the planned renovations, officials predicted the extra shows will bring over 20,000 new attendees to Dickson Street annually.
The park money would help build a 200-acre sports and recreation park with baseball, soccer, softball and multi-use fields; plus basketball, tennis and volleyball courts; playgrounds, trails, pavilions, a great lawn, water features and a concert amphitheater to attract touring artists.
A sign noting the future home of a regional park stands at Judge Cummings Road just off Cato Springs Road in southwest Fayetteville.
Flyer photo
About $20 million would still be needed to complete the park, which is set to be built in several phases. Full construction is estimated at $27.7 million. The city has set aside about $4.5 million of its share of HMR tax collections for the park over the last 11 years.
Preliminary estimates show that the potential economic impact of the regional park could reach as much as $6 million each year through the addition of new sports tournaments and an amphitheater.
Not a done deal
The City Council would first need to sign off on any bond issuance that uses hotel, motel and restaurant taxes. Council members could also tweak the proposal before giving final approval. Fayetteville voters would then have to approve the plan in an election.
Despite needing more money and ultimately, voter approval, commissioners said Monday’s decision was a necessary first step in seeing an expanded arts center on Dickson Street and giving a much-needed boost to the long-awaited regional park.
“To me, all this is is a push forward and the stamp of our general approval that something like this is important,” said commissioner Justin Tennant.
“When you look at the park and the Walton Arts Center, I don’t think there’s any two bigger economic drivers,” he said. “I think it’s important to do it to get it moving and then get the public as involved as possible.”
$600,000 instead of $1 million
Arts center officials in December asked the commission for two separate $1 million donations – one in 2013 and one in 2014. While the commission does keep an estimated $2 million in annual reserves, it has already allocated $500,000 in 2013 to the University of Arkansas’ concert hall project.
Since December, commissioners spoke repeatedly about funding a portion of the arts center’s request, but didn’t discuss any specific amount.
The group on Monday used estimates from the Walton Arts Center’s project expense breakdown to arrive at the $600,000 figure. The original $1 million request was for $600,000 in design fees and $400,000 in fees associated with the construction of a new backstage and administrative office space.
Commissioners voted to only help fund the design phase, and listed five specific conditions the Walton Arts Center must agree to before receiving the money. The conditions include use requirements, an annual audit during the project and quarterly usage reports (see details below).
Surveys coming
All groups involved have said they plan to collect as much input as possible from citizens before crafting any final bond proposal.
City Council members and A&P commissioners agreed to partner on a survey at up to $10,000 apiece to ask residents how best to spend HMR funds gained from the possible bond extension.
Terri Trotter, the arts center’s chief operating officer, said the Walton Arts Center would soon begin a series of formal and informal meetings with patrons, donors and any Fayetteville residents who are willing to show up for town hall-style meetings that will likely begin in April.
Jeff Schomburger, chairman of the arts center’s board of directors, said he wants to use the meetings to make sure Fayetteville residents understand that programming on Dickson Street will be mostly unaffected by the Walton Arts Center’s plans for a new facility in Bentonville.
“We’re going to do six to eight Broadway shows here for the next 20 years, regardless of what happens,” Schomburger told commissioners earlier this year.
He reiterated those remarks on Monday.
“This board is confident and committed to running this expanded (Fayetteville) center at 96 percent capacity,” he said. “If and when something opens up north, we will continue to run at 96 percent capacity right through whatever expansion takes place.”
Conditional donation to WAC
The A&P’s $600,000 donation to the Walton Arts Center is contingent upon the arts center signing a statement agreeing to a set of conditions prepared by commissioner Matthew Petty, who also serves as an alderman on the Fayetteville City Council.
The Walton Arts Center will:
- provide and annual audit, conducted by an independent outside auditor, each year during the project, and for any other years prior to or after, as requested; and
- provide quarterly reports of the use of the provided funds until the funds have been spent; and
- continue with a capital campaign – quiet and public phases – working to secure the remaining funds needed to complete the expansion as described in the proposal; and
- spend the provided funds exclusively on the design, pre-construction, and construction costs of the expansion of Walton Arts Center’s Fayetteville facility; and
- not spend the funds on programming costs, administrative or otherwise.
I just don’t see how our WAC won’t be affected by the new and improved facility opening in Bentonville. Will both facilities have their own separate Broadway schedules each year? Will they be run separately? Will they go out of their way to split the quality shows between the two venues equally? As much as I love the WAC, I don’t see myself voting yes on this unless there is somehow (I challenge you to think of a better way than a promise) an ironclad guarantee that programming will be unaffected in Fayetteville.
I would still prefer it if all of this money went towards a regional park (very cool), or improving College Ave, or turning the lot next to George’s into a park. The facade of the WAC looks absolutely fine.
@-Ryan-
Yes, both facilities will have separate Broadway schedules. There are currently 6-8 Broadway performances in Fayetteville each year, and that won’t change. The reason is there are a lot of Broadway shows that require a 2000+ seat hall. At the same time, there are shows that wouldn’t fill a 2000+ seat hall (those are the shows we are getting now). There are dozens of Broadway shows that could potentially be scheduled in Northwest Arkansas, more than enough to schedule performances in two halls with different seating capacities.
I understand your skepticism and I think it is healthy. My relationship with WAC is “trust, but verifiy.” I am confident that the Walton Arts Center, through their upcoming outreach efforts to explain their expansion plans and earn your vote, will convince you that programming in Fayetteville will not be compromised. If I had even a shred of doubt, my vote at the Commission meeting would have been different.
Will everyone PLEASE read Matthew Petty’s comment? Everyone has an opinion (rabble rabble rabble), but Matthew is someone who’s opinion is properly informed.
I like the conditions that were included Mr. Petty – thank you.
“Trust but verify” huh? Did you know they’ve only got 5 Broadway shows, not 6-8, scheduled for next year? And only 7 performances a week rather than the traditional 8. Appreciate your approval of skepticism, sonny, but they say actions speak louder. Shreds anyone?
The citizens of Fayetteville will vote this down if the council does not. No more debt, we are already building a parking deck no one needs.
“Arts center officials predict renovations will bring over 20,000 new attendees to Dickson Street for arts center performances each year.”
Based on what? Wishful thinking?
Brought to you by the great minds who perpetrated the great lie of BBBBQ’s 400,000 attendees.
I should’ve provided more context there. I’ve updated the paragraph to read as follows:
With some UA performances moving to the new on-campus concert hall, Walton Arts Center officials have said the center will be able to host shows for about 25 more days each year. When combined with the planned renovations, officials predicted the extra shows will bring over 20,000 new attendees to Dickson Street annually.
@Monroe and Blarrrgh – In addition to what Todd wrote, the expanded backstage for the main hall will allow Starr Theatre to be used more often. The backstage of Starr Theatre (and reportedly, sometimes Starr Theatre itself) is currently used for storage for the biggest shows. Another factor which could increase sales/visitors is the expanded lobbies, both the front lobby and the Starr Theatre lobby, and the reconfiguration of the front plaza, which taken together will allow for nonprofit events, like galas, and for weddings and parties to take place during the day or on nights when there aren’t shows.
I can appreciate the humor in comparing the numbers cited in the article with the inflated BBBQ attendance figure, but I don’t think it’s a fair comparison. The increased visitors/sales predicted by WAC is actually based on substance (historical ticket sales and increased opportunities for programming), not simply eyeballing the crowds and taking a guess.
Dear Matthew, thank u for creating a set of boundaries and accountability for the WAC. I would suggest that this expansion of the facility include more access to smaller non-profit arts groups. As it is, no one can afford to rent space in there. I am still wishing for the WAC to be more supportive of local arts organizations.
How do you vote to get rid of the A&P? How do you vote to get rid of hotel, motel and restaurant taxes?
RE :Tennant said he was comfortable forwarding the bond proposal to the City Council “with the idea that it can be tweaked and changed.”
“It would push it forward,” he said. “The park is a huge priority for me, and when you look at the parks and the arts center, those are two of the city’s biggest economic drivers. Without moving it forward, we can’t get anywhere.”
He’s obviously never been to a ball game here.
No joke. I wish the mayor and council spent this much time and effort encouraging business growth and development. One 200 employee business that moved here or was started here would have a greater economic impact than the (probably inflated) $6 million referenced for the new park.
i agree with you so much, though I would also group the City Attorney into this. His “opinons” on matters relating to business are creating too much restriction and regulating growth. As an example, when the idea came around of reconstructing the sidewalk on Center Street next to the square to allow the restaurants in that area to have patio seating on the sidewalk, an idea that would help those businesses attract more customers and improve the atmosphere around downtown, he said it would promote an unfair advantage to those businesses. Ludicrous! Give every business every advantage possible, don’t take away any growth opportunities.
Law is the law bro, they would have to rent the public space.
“Law is the law bro, they would have to rent the public space.” Really?? …news to me **sarcasm**. I would be okay with it if he came out and said that the City did not want to enter into a lease agreement for the space, but he needs to keep his legal opinions factual and his biases against business out of those opinions; we need someone who will help these business grow, not someone who will inhibit their growth. With these policies, our neighbors to the north will just continue to outperform Fayetteville in future years.
No need to lease – the city could have established a permit process for outdoor seating, just as it could (or does) for other vendors on city sidewalks or property.
The Commission did discussed hiring its own attorney at this meeting. While I believe that is a good idea, what I don’t agree with is not pursuing finding a well qualified Fayetteville Attorney willing to donate his or her time to the Commission or at a greatly reduced rate. Why should the Commission pay a $10,000 retainer and $150 – 250 an hour when I would hope that one would step up and serve the City just as each Commissioner, or any member of the public that serves, without pay, on City boards.
Yes but with a large regional park and revnovated up to date performing arts center we can use them to market to companies to move here. In order to get growth you have to constantly be improving the quality of life in a city, apparently some people have a tough time understanding that. Businesses aren’t going to locate to fayetteville when other cities our size have better amenities.
Renovated*
Bingo.
Really, business = money not parks or concerts. They want tax breaks. That’s why the state is giving so much to get another steel mill in Mississippi County.
Maybe if Mississippi County had more amenities such as are funded by the HMR tax and other frou-frou expenditures, the state wouldn’t have to give that steel mill so much money.
I’m thankful that our little burg neither wants nor needs a steel mill.
I would remind a few of you that Commissioner Petty, who most of you believe to be a stand up guy and forward thinker, supposedly actually brought forward the motion to give the WAC $600k. Is he a bad guy too now? The A&P is trying to take a leadership role in getting two important projects—both of which will improve quality of life for us as residents, as well as increase city revenues….and on top of all that they are doing a survey of residents to get your take, and that’s before you get a chance to VOTE on the thing as well. Some of you have really become a bore with your constant conspiracy theories and baseless criticisms of people you know nothing about.
As for voting to get rid of the A&P Tax…..so what your saying is that you do NOT want tax revenues from visitors. Really? No too bright are y
Yes, Matthew Petty wrote and brought forward the conditional $600k pledge. Bill Lyle seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Bob Davis was absent.
That’s weird, no Fayetteville restaurant has ever asked me if I was a ‘visitor’ before they charged me HMR tax. Maybe I need to show my ID or something…
Yeah, I’ve been to shows and not Contributed a dime to the HMR tax. It’s all guess work and fuzzy math.
Have you ever stayed in a hotel here? That’s as big if not a bigger source of this tax.
I have not I live here. I know folks who come down from Benton county to see shows don’t stay at hotels either, but they are more inclined to eat out.
Also….college students. Are you interested in getting tax revenue out of them? They use our city resources but typically are not paying real estate tax or any other tax apart from sales tax paid at Walmart and the mall……and tax on all those pizzas they eat.
One more thing…..the HMR tax is 2%, but is split between the A&P and Parks/Rec. Like the trails? Gardens? Wilson Park? All paid for through this tax.
And the great minds that brought paid parking to Dickson Street.
What a load of negativity. Reminds me of the doom and gloom when WAC was being planned in the first place—how it was going to ruin the town and break the bank—all proven wrong.
The constant negativity by a certain few on this site is in no way representative of the opinions held by the majority of the citizens in Fayetteville. I have little doubt that these plans will pass when brought to a vote.
Well I would like to clarify my opinion so I am not called out for being negative; I am not against the issuance of bonds to pay for the WAC and the regional park, in fact I support it. However, I do believe that many of the actions taken by our city officials tremendously inhibit the growth of business in our city, new and existing. My belief is backed by a comparison of the census and the rate of sales tax collections over a 10-year period in the four main cities of NWA. Looking at these numbers, it is obvious that the growth experienced in some other cities in NWA has far outpaced that of Fayetteville. The past policies set by our city’s leadership are not effective and will continue to lead businesses and eventually residents toward the other areas.
And as far as negativity, what is wrong with a good, healthy debate and difference of opinion? And how about we let the “majority of the citizens in Fayetteville” speak for themselves when the vote comes out and not speak for them?
The massive growth in Benton County has occurred because that is where Wal Mart is headquartered and where it’s vendors have mostly set up shop. That isn’t a failure on Fayetteville’s part and I think most residents would not have wanted that explosive growth pattern in this city.
Yeah, it has nothing to do with their nicer/newer mall, more and better restaurants, a world class museum, a 5-star hotel, ability to have gated communities, less business regulation (such as ridiculous sign ordinances and mandated green space “donations”), and lets not forget they just became a wet county and its only a matter of time until they get a better bar district. I don’t know anyone who would want all that growth funding their sales tax collections and bringing more and better attractions to their community, do you?? That’s just crazy!!
Yes, not keeping up with the competition IS a failure on Fayetteville’s part. Not necessarily any one particular fault, but rather lagging behind the truly progressive growth of other communities in general. Other than the U of A, there is nothing (or at least not much) that Fayetteville can say they have an economic advantage anymore. I do believe this park and WAC renovation are steps in the right direction, just hope it’s not too little, too late.
The crazy growth in Bville and Rogers owes a great deal to their proximity to the awesomeness of Fayetteville. It was a major selling point for years. Those improvements you mention came after the fact. Now, they have taken the momentum and leapfrogged past us in growth, and yes we need to continually improve if we are to match their growth. But it’s not a race, and remember that their relative rapid growth is partly explained because they were so far behind us 20 years ago.
You understand that 15 years ago, there was absolutely nothing in Benton County?
Look, I agree Fayetteville should do more to attract business. The sign ordinance is not “silly”. The businesses you want here aren’t the ones who concern themselves with sign height. I know, I know, it would be nice to have a Cracker Barrel off Porter Road.
We want innovation and job creation, not just chain restaurants. Continuously improving a city’s quality of life can only help in this endeavor.
No one is calling you out “hub”, I was referring to many of the comments made about the article above, not Center St. improvements. To be more specific, anyone that bluntly comments “no more debt” or “no more hmr tax” obviously has very little understanding of basic economics. As for speaking for the voters, I am just pointing out that the average Fayetteville voter has a good understanding of basic economics.
At least the citizens of Fayetteville will have the opportunity to vote this down. We’re already giving WAC a payoff every year from our parking siphon. On top of our parking tax and restaurant tax, the city wants to tax us even more to add additional parking downtown in hopes that it will appease the WAC mafia. We already pay them off, it’s time to stop the shake-down of Fayetteville residents.
Hush. Don’t make the WAC mad. Step lightly or they will leave.
Fayetteville needs a great A&P. I think the WAC can fund itself and I don’t agree that A&P money should take the place of corporate donors. The money A&P has could either be added on top of corporate donors or it could nurture the new crop of artists groups, local events, and independent promoters.