Longmont needs a cultural and performing arts center, three arts community representatives told City Council members on Friday.
"A performing arts facility will encourage future growth and enhance the quality of life for our citizens," said Elliot Moore, the Longmont Symphony Orchestra's conductor and music director.
"A vibrant arts community not only keeps residents and their discretionary spending invested in the local economy, it also attracts visitors who spend money and help local businesses thrive," said Judi Watson, a Longmont Symphony board member.
"We believe that the need, support and timing are all now in alignment for Longmont to engage in a public-private partnership to build a beautiful cultural and performing arts center which will represent the greatness and ingenuity of Longmont and become the physical symbol for our civic pride," said Bob Balsman, president of the Longmont Chorale.
Balsman, Watson and Moore made their case for building such a facility — possibly through a public-private partnership arrangement — during a public-comment opportunity at the Friday afternoon conclusion of the City Council's annual retreat.
Balsman said they were there to represent the Longmont Performing Arts Initiative, a group whose organizations include the Centennial State Ballet, the Longmont Concert Band, the Longmont Theatre Co., the Longmont Youth Symphony and the Longs Peak Chorus as well as the Longmont Chorale and the Longmont Symphony Orchestra.
"Each of our member groups are very grateful for the venues which greatly accommodate our performances," Balsman said.
While he did not name them, the groups now often perform in such venues as high school auditoriums and local churches.
"However, because none of these venues are meant to host the performing arts as their primary purpose, each group faces various issues, such as scheduling around the primary activities of our venues, stage and audience capacity, as well as other aspects of the facilities, parking and so on," Balsman said.
He also said that "there is currently no suitable venue in Longmont for regularly attracting regionally and nationally known talent." Watson said the Longmont Performing Arts Initiative participants believe that a building dedicated to the cultural and performing arts would contribute to Longmont's economy.
She said initiative participants have been researching arts facilities in Colorado and across the nation for several months in an effort to learn what worked and what possible stumbling blocks would face creation of a Longmont center.
Moore said such a facility "is absolutely necessary to meet the needs of the thriving performing arts community in Longmont as well as meet the needs of existing and future residents."
He suggested that "co-locating" performing arts space with a convention center could not only address those needs but would conform to Longmont's history of "valuing practicality."
People "want quality cultural experiences in a space that is designed to bring those exceptional live performances into relief," Moore said.
"No other community is as well situated to build the best performing arts space in a 50-mile radius than we are here in Longmont," he said. "The time to act is now."
Said Balsman: "Such a venue could greatly benefit the community financially as well as very positively enhance its image. It would be a source of pride for the community."
The City Council did not formally react to the Performing Arts Initiative's proposal to have the city support a private-public partnership in building such a center.
However, in an earlier portion of Friday's retreat, at least two council members suggested that providing some sort of new entertainment venue should be one of the city's goals to accomplish during the coming 20 years.
Councilwoman Marcia Martin raised the potential of locating a cultural and performing arts center, along with a convention center, in a lower downtown Longmont area east of First Avenue and Main Street.
Councilman Aren Rodriguez said the Boulder County Fairgrounds facilities at 9595 Nelson Road could be revitalized and become a "vibrant" entertainment venue for the performing arts.
John Fryar: 303-684-5211, jfryar@times-call.com