Task Force Votes 8-1-2 to Recommend Full Renovation of Arts Center

Eleven members of the 311 W. Main Task Force have worked since Nov. 1, 2011 to figure out the best recommendation to revive the former performing arts center in downtown Lansdale.

For nearly a year, the task force has heard input from residents young and old, reviewed budget figures and renderings from Spiezle Architects, hired arts consultant AMS Planning and Research to guide the task force toward a recommendation, and debated to phase or not to phase the project.

In the end, 11 members  — including the borough manager and three Lansdale councilmembers — couldn't come to a full consensus over a recommendation on how council should proceed with the future of 311 W. Main St. 

In the end, majority rules — and the task force voted Tuesday night 8-1-2 to recommend, among other things, a full non-phased renovation of the arts center. The price tag on the renovation: $3.8 million.

The recommendation looks to avoid "failures of the past," according to the final business plan.

Read the full business plan for 311 W. Main St. at this link or download it from our photo gallery.

"The task force believes strongly that halfway measures will only serve to repeat the failures of the past. In order for this facility to be a successful downtown destination and to serve as a significant catalyst to the vitality of Lansdale, the borough must, through its actions, show everyone that it is serious about the success of this facility and it will do what is needed to make that success a reality," said Borough Manager Timi Kirchner.

The recommendation also goes against the recommendation from AMS Planning and Research, which suggested phasing the project.

"Although a detailed financial model was provided by AMS, it was based on the assumption of a phased approach to the renovation of the facility. The task force supports the concept of completing the entire project in one step," said Kirchner.

"Taking this approach will keep the overall costs of the project down, particularly in this economy, capitalize on current construction costs, and assure that once the facility is open all energies can go into the operational success of the facility, rather than being distracted by yet another capital campaign and the likely closing of the facility to complete phase two," she said.

Kirchner said Spiezle Architects recommended going against a phased approach.

"The report from AMS stated a number of times that there was the impression that the borough was not committed financially to the project. The task force recommends full commitment to the project so that 311 W. Main can serve as the economic engine that the community desires and deserves," Kirchner said.

The dissenting vote came from Lindsay Schweriner. Task force members James Collins Jr. and Doug Pett were absent from the final meeting of the task force.

Schweriner's argument — phase the project because it will slowly, but surely, build trust and support from the community and create long-term success.

"I feel like we need to build the success of this organization on a series of smaller successes,” she said. “Jumping in head first with a $4 million-plus endeavor feels too risky to me.”

She said the borough can get the code violations fixed. Meanwhile, few small programs like movie nights can get going in the building.

“We can get the trust of the community. And then we can move forward in fixing the rest of it,” she said. "When you open a building after spending $4-plus million, there’s a whole lot more pressure on your back reap that than there is to fix $400,000 of code violations."

Schweriner was critical of the community survey by arts consultant AMS Planning and Research, which garnered about 330 responses from potential users of the arts center.

“AMS did a good job, but they based their statistics on 300 people that responded to the survey — 300," she said. "So, when you say figures like, ‘two-thirds of those responded,’ we’re talking about 300, not thousands of people.”

Schweriner holds a bachelor’s degree in music as well as an MBA in music management.  She currently works as an artist representative for Baylin Artists Management.

Interestingly enough, those who previously expressed a preference in phasing the project were Schweriner, Dawn Harvey and ex-officio task force member Brian O'Leary of the Montgomery County Planning Commission and Creative MontCo Steering Committee — all whom are involved in and have experience in the arts and entertainment field.

Task Force Chairman and Councilman Mike Sobel, Vice Chairman Charles Booz, councilwoman Mary Fuller, Kirchner and Pett had expressed opinions to not phase the project.

Sobel made a statement at the beginning of the meeting. In it, he laid out how Lansdale is undergoing changes through its streetscape project and upcoming Wood-Vine Connector Project.

“People are wondering what’s next? Lansdale is becoming a destination,” Sobel said. “Through it all, 311 W. Main has stood tall and empty like a forlorn, forgotten and abandoned old landmark nearly waiting for its epitaph to be written. What will be its legacy in ours?”

Sobel said the building has sat unused for three years, with Lansdale doing the necessary maintenance to upkeep it at the taxpayer expense and no revenue to offset those costs.

Selling the building is not an option — there are no takers. Tearing it down means another loss with an empty lot in the middle of downtown.

“If people don’t see Lansdale Borough making an investment and committing to a building that it owns, they begin to wonder if Lansdale is worth their investment and go elsewhere,” Sobel said.

Borough staff, he said, is building a community by taking calculated steps to keep Lansdale on track.

“If we don’t take necessary steps, Lansdale will not be a community that people enjoy and take pride in. It will be come just another exit off the turnpike,” he said.

Here are other recommendations the task force made Tuesday night:

• Lansdale should commit to most of the cost of renovation with the expectation that the some capital funds will be raised from outside sources.
• Lansdale should hire an architect, a theater consultant, and an acoustician to renovate and develop the interior space.
• Lansdale Borough should retain ownership of the building.
• A 501(c)3 nonprofit should manage and program the daily operations of the building.
• The borough should contribute a significant amount of money toward the first few years of operation, and decrease its contribution as years go on. The nonprofit entity will increase its portion of revenue at the same time.
• There should be shared risk and cultivated partnerships with the public and private sector
• A volunteer core should be established to aid in ticket sales and production, among other things
• A membership program should be established, with varying levels of benefits
• Fundraising operations should be ongoing and diverse funding solutions should be pursued through state and local government, foundations, businesses, individuals, naming rights and rehabilitation tax credits.
  
  "A critical element in successful fundraising is the borough’s commitment to the project. Sources of funds will look to the borough’s commitment before it sends any money to the project. If the borough does not show a strong commitment to the project, why should anyone else?" said Kirchner.
  
  

So what's next? Borough council will soon vote on whether to accept or deny the recommendation of the 311 W. Main Task Force.

"Once the architect and theater consultant comes on board, the details of what goes into that theater will be put together," Kirchner said. "It wasn't for the task force to get down into the details and nitty gritty; it was for the task force to recommend a format by which it would get there."

Do You Want to Know More?

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• Show Us the Money
  
• Recommendation on Arts Center Purpose Coming in October
  
• Early Task Force Opinions Go Against Recommendation of Consultant
• 311 W. Main St.: The Visions of the People
  
• 311. W Main St. Task Force: The Building (video)
• 311 W. Main Task Force: The Team (video)
• Survey for Lansdale Arts Center Needs Input
• AMS Planning to Give Final Report for 311 W. Main in August
• 311 Task Force Chair Takes on 'Unfounded Criticisms'
• Task Force Must Identify Leader for 311 W. Main
• Consultant Chosen For 311 West Main Project
• Seven NPSD Residents Wanted for 311 West Main Task Force
• Community Members Selected for 311 West Main Task Force
• Members Named to 311 W. Main St. Task Force
• An Errant History of 311 W. Main St.
• Task Force to Choose A&E Consultant by December
• Back to Drawing Board for 311 W. Main Consultant
• Community Outreach Set With New 311 W. Main Consultant
• Let 'Em Know What You Want at 311 W. Main
• 311 W. Main Task Force Vacancy Needs NPSD Resident
• 311 Task Force Chair Says Long Road Coming to End
• Defunct Performing Arts Center is Talk of the Town
• Special Meeting Set to Determine Future of Lansdale Performing Arts Center