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Report shows improved use of 801 Magnolia; commissioners question data and PCA agreement
Summary
Staff reported a year of increased city programming at 801 Magnolia but commissioners challenged the presentation format, arguing the PCA's weekend priority and morning time slots skew utilization statistics and that data should be broken down by time of day and user type.
Shelley presented the annual usage report for 801 Magnolia, summarizing the five‑year agreement with the Piedmont Center for the Arts (PCA) that began May 12 and runs through 2027. Under the agreement, PCA holds priority for many weekends while the city holds certain weekday morning and afternoon slots; staff said PCA was allocated 36 weekends while the city retained 16.
Shelley summarized usage statistics showing PCA used about 37% of its allocated hours this year while city use was roughly 22% of its allocation; staff also showed increased city programming (summer camps, meetings and new monthly events) and noted that some morning time slots are difficult to fill. “They get 36 weekends, we get 16,” Shelley said when explaining the agreement structure.
Commissioners pushed back on the way the data were presented. One commissioner criticized counting long blocks of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. as part of the annual allocation, saying those hours are effectively unusable and skew the charts. “I feel like it's really frustrating to look at this data put together in this way because, like you said, 400 hours in a year are just you're they're not usable. Right? 7AM to 9AM you really can't program,” the commissioner said, urging staff to break the figures down by time of day and by user type (city programming versus community or private rentals) to better inform future decisions — including the 2027 contract renewal with PCA.
Staff acknowledged the concern and said the data are presented according to the current allocation model; they agreed to consider alternative breakdowns for future presentations. Commissioners also discussed rental prices and community access, with some arguing the PCA’s role adds cultural programming and offsets city staffing costs, and others saying weekend availability and price differentials make community rentals difficult to secure.
The commission requested staff refine the presentation to show clearer comparisons by time block and user type ahead of future contract deliberations.
