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Consultant: deeper partnership between PAC management, city and Arts Foundation could reduce city subsidy
Summary
A consultant engaged by the PAC and funded jointly with OVG recommended a formal 'PAC collaborative' to bind the city, the venue manager and the Arts Foundation more closely. The group argued a funded development function and clearer MOU could bring contributed revenue toward program and operating costs over several years.
A consultant who worked with the Federal Way Performing Arts Center (PAC), the Arts Foundation of Federal Way and venue management presented findings to the committee and the committee discussed next steps.
Joe McElwain, who previously participated in the PAC’s original planning, told the committee the venue’s original pro forma assumed sustained private contributed revenue to support education and programming. That contribution did not develop at the expected scale, and the city has subsidized operations to the tune of roughly $1 million in recent years, McElwain said.
McElwain described work over several months to convene staff, the Arts Foundation and Oak View Group (OVG, the venue manager) and recommended a formalized “PAC collaborative.” The proposal calls for a deeper MOU that clarifies roles, a funded development director position at the foundation, and shared fundraising and programming responsibilities. The goal: increase contributed revenue (the original pro forma targeted roughly $760,000 in private support by year five), expand affordable access for resident arts organizations, and move toward a one‑third split of revenue from tickets, rentals and private contributions.
OVG had agreed to co‑fund the consultant; Autumn Gressett told the committee OVG contributed $60,000 toward the JM Arts consulting engagement. McElwain said the collaborative would require 6–9 months of negotiation on responsibilities, accounting and donor stewardship, and that a realistic early implementation target would be calendar 2026.
Several council members asked for a dedicated council study session to review the consultant’s work, the projected revenue impact and capital‑reserve implications. Staff agreed to provide the consultant materials and to schedule a deeper discussion; committee members emphasized that any additional private revenue should be considered alongside a plan to build facility reserve funds for future capital repairs rather than offsetting ongoing operating subsidies alone.
