Beaufort County staff recommends steering committee, fundraising study for $54.1 million performing arts center concept

Chris Forrester, the staff presenter, told the Beaufort County Council at a workshop that consultants see a market for a flexible, multiuse performing arts center and recommended a phased approach that begins with a steering committee and fundraising feasibility study.

"The overall recommendation ... supports a flexible multi purpose performing arts event center," Forrester said, summarizing market work and site visits to peer facilities. He told the council the consultants proposed roughly 10,000 square feet for a main venue plus a smaller 3,000-square-foot studio theater and projected conservative attendance of about 27,000 in year one growing to nearly 60,000 by year 10.

The staff presentation included estimated economic impacts: roughly 720 construction-phase jobs, about $21.6 million in construction labor income and indirect effects the presenter listed at roughly $38.7 million; Forrester said ongoing operations could support about 78 jobs and roughly $9.2 million in annual economic activity beginning around year five.

Forrester also described lessons from site visits to Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Chapman Cultural Center, Greenville’s Peace Center and Cornelius’s McCain Center, saying communities that succeeded had hired experienced operators, planned for future scale rather than building too small and conducted robust fundraising.

"Hire an experienced operator consultant to help you with this ... because they'll understand how these facilities are operated," Forrester said, recounting operators' advice from the site visits.

Council members voiced broad interest but emphasized caution. Councilor Bridget Frager said she favored a flexible venue and outsourcing operations to professionals: "I definitely think having a 3rd party out or outsourcing to a 3rd party to run operations, would be good too." Another councilor, Mr. Wood, backed that view: "Hire a pro to do it."

Staff told the council the consultants’ capital estimate was about $54,100,000 and that, using typical fundraising and donation assumptions, the town’s initial potential contribution could be about $8,100,000 to start the project. Forrester cautioned the consultants’ pro forma did not include major grant revenue or large donations in order to be conservative.

As a next step, Forrester recommended the council adopt a resolution in June to form a steering committee of stakeholders to review consultants’ work, oversee a fundraising feasibility study and help shape a community survey and master-plan concepts. Forrester said the steering committee would act as a check on research and advise council on whether and how to proceed.

The workshop did not include a formal council vote on the performing-arts concept; members asked staff to return with a resolution and further information. Forrester said a resolution to create a steering committee would be brought back to the council in June and that additional community engagement and a fundraising feasibility study would follow.