St. Paul City Council honors Ordway Center on 40th anniversary

The St. Paul City Council on a unanimous voice vote adopted a resolution recognizing the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts on its 40th anniversary and thanking the organization for its civic and economic contributions to downtown St. Paul.

The resolution recognizes the Ordway as “a community gathering place in the heart of downtown Saint Paul,” says it brings national and Minnesota-based performers to its stages, and states the Ordway “generates $40,000,000 in economic impact annually” and “serves nearly 50,000 students, educators, and families each year” through student matinees, in-classroom workshops and other arts-and-education programs.

Chris Harrington, identified in the meeting as president and CEO of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and as a downtown resident, thanked the council and noted the theater opened in January 1985. Harrington said the Ordway continues to serve “as a community gathering place” and invited council members and the public to a free open house the following Sunday, saying the event is intended “to represent the original ethos of being a community gathering place.”

Council members praised the Ordway for bringing cultural programming to Saint Paul and for educational work that reaches local students. Several council members recalled attending performances and described the theater as an asset for both local artists and the city’s broader cultural life.

The council president moved approval of the resolution; the minutes record the vote as 7 in favor, none opposed. The resolution was adopted and council members offered congratulations to Ordway staff and leadership.

The resolution names the Ordway’s partnerships with the Minnesota Opera, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Schubert Club. The council’s text describes the adoption as “a token of deep appreciation” and encourages the community to celebrate the Ordway’s contributions to downtown Saint Paul going forward.