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More funds sought for Burnsville arts center

Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune

The Burnsville City Council on Tuesday approved more funding for the $20 million Burnsville Performing Arts Center. The $237,000 will be used to add an orchestra shell, among other things. Council Member Charlie Crichton, who opposed the funding, asked: “When do we stop pouring money into it?”

The $237,000 will pay for an orchestra shell and more equipment, but a council member says enough is enough.

By DEAN SPIROS, Star Tribune

Last update: September 25, 2009 - 12:33 AM

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Charlie Crichton had a question for his fellow Burnsville City Council members on Tuesday when they signed off on another $237,000 in funds for the fledgling Burnsville Performing Arts Center.

"When does it stop?" Crichton asked.

The $20 million center has been a lightning rod for criticism since its inception, and Tuesday's decision ensures the hostilities will linger into its second year of operation; it opened in January.

Along with $140,000 for an orchestra shell, the council approved $97,000 for audio-visual equipment, window treatments and corrections to a flaw in the pulley system used to move scenery.

The money will come out of the $370,000 remaining in the building's construction fund. That money had been earmarked for helping to pay down the debt.

The city's budget for the center called for a shortfall of $266,000 in its first year. But that number was surpassed by the end of April, leading to a meeting between Steve Peters, president of VenuWorks, the company hired to manage the arts center, and City Manager Craig Ebeling.

Peters blamed the bad economy for the added losses when he addressed the City Council in July. Crichton was the only member who bristled at the request to give the center more time to find its footing.

On Tuesday, he was the only member to vote against the latest costs. "We've already suffered horrendous losses,'' he said. "When do we stop pouring money into it?"

Some reluctant support

Some other council members agreed to the additional costs only reluctantly.

Council Member Mary Sherry pointed out she was opposed to building the art center. But now that it is in place, she said, it makes sense to try to make it as successful as possible.

Said Council Member Dan Keal- ey: "If it's not finished correctly, we're wasting $20 million.''

Wolf Larson, executive director of the Arts Center, remains unbroken by the criticism that continues to swirl.

"It's all part of the job,'' Larson said. "If you're feeling down, all you have to do is come into the building and see the kids who are here [attending classes].''

According to Burnsville Deputy City Manager Tom Hansen, the city had hoped the Friends of Burnsville Performing Arts Center would be able raise money to pay for the shell through private donations. The current economic climate proved too big a hurdle, Hansen said.

Wolf said the group has done a fabulous job, raising $400,000 in contributions. He said expecting it to find a way to pay for the orchestra shell was "over-reaching.''

Hansen told the council that the shell is not something the facility can do without. "If we want to be a full-service arts center,'' he said, "this particular piece needs to be there.''

He said that Peters told him the shell, which would improve acoustics, will bring an additional six to eight events to the facility each year. Hansen said the city would see a profit of $2,000 to $3,000 per event.

At that rate, it will take 10 years to recoup the cost of the shell, which Wolf said could be expected to have a life span of 40 to 50 years.

Not all wishes granted

The Art Center staff did not get everything on its wish list. The purchase of a piano ($10,000), a wood dance floor ($13,842) and curtains, riser legs and ladders ($17,000) for the 100-seat Black Box Theatre will have to come from donations.

"I'm done,'' Sherry said of the spending.

Larson said the staff has had preliminary talks about holding a fundraiser to help pay for those items. He said buying a piano is the first priority.

"As it stands, a piano has to be rented per usage, which drives up the cost of renting the facility for the users,'' Larson said. "They come in looking for the piano that is supposed to be here. It makes the facility less attractive.''

Dean Spiros • 952-882-9203

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