Cerritos Council approves $75,000 economic-impact study of Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

The Cerritos City Council voted to award a $75,000 contract to Keane Independent Research to conduct an economic impact study of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA).

The study, which the council approved during its July 10 meeting, will quantify direct and indirect economic contributions from theater operations, including patron spending, sales and transient occupancy taxes, and employment impacts. The contract will be funded from the CCPA endowment fund, a restricted account used for theater-related purposes.

City staff said the consultant’s proposal includes a market analysis, an economic-impact assessment and stakeholder outreach — surveys, interviews and focus groups — and will provide a framework for ongoing analysis as new data becomes available. Keane representative Haley Adams told the council the firm would examine roughly the past five years of activity and include the current season in the analysis.

"We would be looking at the past five years. And so I think depending on when we start that date range begins, we could include the current season," Haley Adams said.

City Manager Robert Lopez told the council the $75,000 would come from the CCPA endowment fund and not from the city’s general fund reserves. "To be clear, this would not be spent from general fund monies," Lopez said, adding the study could recommend programming or event changes that would help increase future revenues.

Councilmember Gloria Perlas Pulido moved to award the contract and to authorize a $75,000 budget amendment to the CCPA endowment fund; Councilmember Sofia seconded. Councilmember Say offered a friendly amendment to remove language in the staff recommendation that would have allowed increases "whichever is greater," leaving the proposal to permit contract amendments only up to 15% of the original contract value. Pulido accepted the amendment. The motion passed on a 3–1 vote.

Councilmembers asked staff for background materials, including any prior economic-impact analyses; staff said they would search the archives for an older study carried out about 25 years ago and would provide available reports to the council. Staff estimated the consultant’s work would take about six to eight months after the contract start.

The contract award is framed by staff as an investment in data to help council decisions about theater programming and budget planning; the city manager said the timeline should allow findings to inform the next budget cycle.

Votes at a glance: - Award professional services contract to Keane Independent Research for economic impact study of the CCPA: Approved 3–1. Motion by Councilmember Gloria Perlas Pulido; second by Councilmember Sofia. Friendly amendment accepted to cap cumulative contract amendments at 15% of the original contract value. Funding source: CCPA endowment fund (one-time budget amendment of $75,000).

No other formal budget or program changes were adopted as part of the motion.

What’s next: Staff will execute the contract, begin stakeholder outreach, and return with any material contract amendments if those exceed the 15% cap. The council asked staff to provide any prior studies or council memos related to earlier economic analyses of the CCPA.