Great Points Being Made…

Shared with permission of Davina Grace Hill. She has worked with SWAC and other arts groups for years and in my opinion has professional knowledge to have an opinion. This concerns the PAC (Performance Arts Center) proposed for the current library site. It was sent to the presidents of the city and county councils. Now, as to why I’m writing today. It’s about the proposed community cultural plans that actually feel like a massive shell game (Ward goes to Main St., the newly named library goes to former Ward home, Performing Arts Center moves to former library). All proposed on the heels of controversial downtown parking lot sales to apartments and hotels that, if successful, will drastically increase density and reduce parking in a known flood plain. Potential problems are myriad. Now, of course I love the idea of a performing art center (PAC) in downtown Salisbury and support the notion and well understand the need. What I don’t love is this current idea from Salisbury University. I have lots of questions, but first of all expectations need to be addressed. The community seems to be rallying behind the idea, but are they rallying behind a mirage of what they want rather than what I fear is being planned? If we aren’t told what the actual design and usage and feasibility plans are, how can we tell what we’re really going to end up getting? My primary concern is this: a true community performing arts center would, of course, be eminently valuable to downtown Salisbury. But make no mistake, if this is a center established by, and run by Salisbury University, it will be first and foremost, for, by, and of the students. I’m sure there will be opportunities for community usages, but they will be secondary or tertiary. The opportunity for touring shows? Selections will be made with the students perspectives first, not the community. How busy is the facility estimated to be? Both now and in 5 and 10 years? Will it be a beacon of activity every night or just on weekends or just on occasions? My second concern is the speed this decision seems to require. The Hotel Esther’s fate was sealed the very day AFTER its public announcement when the building was expeditiously demolished. To date, there seems to be no further work at the site, but the building is gone. Please don’t allow the same fate to befall the Sarbanes Library. Don’t get stuck with unexpected cost expectations at a later date after the demolition of newly named Sarbanes Library. My final major concern can be summed up thusly: SU couldn’t manage Ward Museum, why do you believe they can manage a full scale performing arts center? A PAC has been described as a community center out front (audience spaces) and an industrial site (production spaces) out back. It requires multiple and diverse skills and constant attention. Is SU ready to handle the task for Salisbury and Wicomico County? I have lots more concerns which I’ll outline next but these are are the biggest, overarching ones. I’ll list further concerns in an attachment. Oh, and in case you hadn’t heard, I returned to Salisbury six years ago when I retired. Medical issues have not been kind so you won’t see me at hearings in this subject (although, obviously, I’m keeping an eye in it). I hope you will do the needed due diligence for a successful PAC in Salisbury’s future. But there are lots of questions to be asked on this current proposal. Please ask them. More Salisbury PAC considerations: Parking. Current parking lots have been designated to become apartments- each of which will need its own parking. Where are PAC audiences expected to park? Secondly, if this is promoted as a home for presenting performances then have load in requirements been addressed (tractor trailers impacting downtown traffic flows and access)? Flooding. Downtown’s flooding problems and Humphrey Lake history make the notion of placing an intense weighty PAC right at the rivers edge a concerning notion. Have appropriate studies been done to insure safety all around? Impact on WYCC. What will this be? Will WYCC continue to have a role in the community? Planning and Funding. For decades SU has had in its long range plans the plan to build a PAC on their own campus. What happened to that? Why has it never been realized? Why is this downtown location a brand new option? What study has been done to show it feasible? Where does the 100 million price tag come from and where do the resources come from, not just to build but to maintain and continue operations? What role is expected from the City and from the County? Will the facility be expected to be self-sufficient with its programs? Impact on SU. What will happen with Byron theater? What’s to happen with Holloway Hall theater? There are facilities currently on campus at Salisbury University. What are the plans for those spaces; will they be repurposed if they are no longer needed because of the new downtown PAC? Facility Technical Question. Has adequate Load in space been allocated- remembering it will be in the heart of downtown? If this is viewed as a “bus and truck” venue for touring shows then large tractor trailer trucks will be loading in and loading out for shows and even if that isn’t the case whatever comes from Salisbury university will have to be loaded in and loaded out. Have traffic studies been done? Will there be a Fly loft in the main theatre? That would be needed for touring shows but also requires extensive training and ongoing supervision, limiting Community access, How were specific seating capacities determined? Are these optimum seating or currently needed? How were multiple stages selected? Who will manage the facility on a day-to-day basis. Community. What will happen to community usages of meeting rooms currently on the lower level of the library? As more and more downtown becomes housing, less and less places are available for meetings by community groups. What considerations for their needs have been made in this PAC proposal? A PAC is an asset to be desired but it is also one that raises lots of questions and concerns and needs a careful assessment. Please support a true community based PAC for Wicomico County and judge carefully whether this current SU proposal will be that desired asset.