Flagstaff arts coalition outlines $48 million Mountain Arts Conservatory plan and seeks city partnership

Leaders of a Flagstaff arts coalition on Tuesday detailed a phased plan to build a Mountain Arts Conservatory—a campus of indoor and outdoor venues intended to house multiple resident companies and expand arts education and cultural tourism in Flagstaff.

"The Mountain Arts Conservatory will be Northern Arizona's premier hub for creativity, collaboration, and cultural exchange," said Dawn Tucker, director of Vision and Impact for Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival (S8), during a presentation to the Flagstaff City Council work session. Tucker said the project includes an open‑air Mountain Rose theater, a Peaks Playhouse, a Black Box theater, classrooms, and a dedicated kiva for Native American performers.

The proposal is built around a phased fundraising and construction plan. Tucker cited a Kinney Construction estimate of about $31,000,000 for core construction, said Phase 1 (the outdoor Mountain Rose and associated parking and lobby) could begin once $3,000,000 is raised, and outlined Phase 2 and Phase 3 funding triggers. She described additional campaign needs—furnishings, fixtures and equipment, an endowment and contingencies—bringing the coalition's full campaign goal to $48,000,000 and reported more than $550,000 raised so far.

Tucker also presented economic and programming projections drawn from previous studies and the coalition's analysis, saying the facility could support "88 new full‑time jobs," host hundreds of performances per year and serve tens of thousands of attendees annually. "This is not just a building. This is a permanent home for performing arts in Flagstaff," she said (S8).

City staff introduced the presentation and the coalition's work. David McIntyre, community investment director (S5), framed the proposal as a response to a 2018 feasibility study that identified space shortages for performing arts organizations and said the city has received significant public interest in improved cultural infrastructure.

Council members praised the vision and asked for more detail. Council member House (S4) called the presentation "exhilarating" and requested follow‑up meetings; the Vice Mayor (S6) suggested coordinating funding conversations with the Orpheum and an indigenous cultural center and asked to explore shared funding mechanisms; Council member Garcia (S3) said she was optimistic but emphasized the council's current budget constraints and requested more analytics and partner feedback.

Tucker estimated that, given current outreach and fundraising capacity, the low‑cost outdoor theater could be realized in about 2.5 years and the full project within five years if fundraising keeps pace. She said campaign leaders are exploring a mix of private philanthropy, new market tax credits, public bond mechanisms, state and federal grants, foundation contributions and corporate naming opportunities.

There was no formal council action or vote during the work session. Tucker offered to meet individually with council members and provide additional materials on site selection, fundraising details and operational assumptions.

The council requested follow‑up briefings; Tucker provided contact information in the meeting packet and said the coalition will share updates with the council by email and in future meetings.