Tallahassee Performing Arts Center

[Florida]

Performing Arts Center to Be Built Downtown

Committee Reccomends a Location Near Civic Center

As it was drawn up back in 1977, the performing arts center will find its place near the civic center. There are still questions on just how this facility will look, and officials are also wrestling with parking issues as they say over 2000 parking spaces will need to be built near the site.

This is likely an excellent opportunity for the city to use some of the land it has purchased along the Gaines Street corridor... future entertainment district. Meanwhile the design of the building is still in the works.

For the Story Click Here

[DaiDreamer5]

Performing Arts Center to Be Built Downtown

Committee Reccomends a Location Near Civic Center

As it was drawn up back in 1977, the performing arts center will find its place near the civic center. There are still questions on just how this facility will look, and officials are also wrestling with parking issues as they say over 2000 parking spaces will need to be built near the site.

This is likely an excellent opportunity for the city to use some of the land it has purchased along the Gaines Street corridor... future entertainment district. Meanwhile the design of the building is still in the works.

For the Story Click Here

Neat! Hopefully they can find a nice design for the building besides a stucco box. Though I am a big fan of more brick downtown, a Arts center should stand out from the rest of the buildings.

Maybe something like the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach? (which is a silly design for being so close to the coast)

http://dest.travelocity.com/website/destin...tos/173_105.jpg

[poonther]

My one and only true concern w/this project is that it should be built....SOON! Hopefully w/in my lifetime and that it does not go the way of the Civic Center hotel. The building of the P. Arts Center is not rocket science and I see no reason why there should be quarrels over it. Let's do this! If you've ever been to a concert or performance in the civic center, you'll know why this needs to be built. The acoustics in the c.c are awful, just awful and Ruby Diamond is just too small for certain things.

Now DaiDreamer5 you know me by now, I'd much prefer "a stucco box" w/ some palms in front to some provencal looking red brick building w/crappy myrtles all in front that looks like it should be in the Carolinas or North GA than in North FL. But hey that's just me and I'd take that idea if it means it could be built....NOW!

I love the Kravis Center. I've seen many things there. Why do you say it's a silly design for being so close to the coast, you must mean because of the front being all glass? Just curious.

Bottom line, let's stop talking about this project and just DO IT.

[Florida]

Ahh, patience my friend. It's coming. I'd much rather them move along at this steady pace and give us the best possible product, than rush into something we're going to regret 30 years from now (Civic Center). I'm speaking in terms of design.

I like the look of this Kravis Center. It's very classy, and something along those lines would work for us. I'm going to be looking around at Other Cities performing arts centers, namely Capital cities, and cities throughout Florida.

I think it would be neat to lay the pictures on here for us all to compare and discuss which one we like most.

[Florida]

Here's a Look at Performing Arts Centers in Other Capital Cities

Atlanta

Austin

Baton Rouge

Boise

Hartford

Lincoln

Sacramento

[stjoe]

Great news.

I agree...no stucco and palms. I would like a more classic look myself.

[DaiDreamer5]

My one and only true concern w/this project is that it should be built....SOON! Hopefully w/in my lifetime and that it does not go the way of the Civic Center hotel. The building of the P. Arts Center is not rocket science and I see no reason why there should be quarrels over it. Let's do this! If you've ever been to a concert or performance in the civic center, you'll know why this needs to be built. The acoustics in the c.c are awful, just awful and Ruby Diamond is just too small for certain things.

Now DaiDreamer5 you know me by now, I'd much prefer "a stucco box" w/ some palms in front to some provencal looking red brick building w/crappy myrtles all in front that looks like it should be in the Carolinas or North GA than in North FL. But hey that's just me and I'd take that idea if it means it could be built....NOW!

I love the Kravis Center. I've seen many things there. Why do you say it's a silly design for being so close to the coast, you must mean because of the front being all glass? Just curious.

Bottom line, let's stop talking about this project and just DO IT.

I don't want the performing arts center to be made out of brick (the rest of downtown could thought, if I had my way ) I think art centers should stand out from the rest of the city. It's not an office building, it's an art center. A place that recieves a high number of new vistors unlike office buildings (which usually get the same people everyday). It should WOW you.

The Kravis center is a silly design because of the glass front. Some people call it the "Rich Person's Hurricane Shelter" in Palm Beach County. It is about 6 blocks from the water. The actual design of the building it pretty cool though. It's alot bigger then what they are planning for Tallahassee I believe (has three or four stages), but it would stand out.

There is nothing wrong with liking stucco boxes. I grew up around bright pink ones and am sick of them. Give me more brick with Live Oaks (I think Mrytles are nice trees, but are WAY over used for something that looks good only a few weeks out of the year). I think we need more red maples too.

Edited to add (based on new pics): I would like to see a more round PA center.

[Florida]

I agree... I want something round also. Like you said, something that WOWs!!! This building should have excitement designed into every corner.

[poonther]

I too agree that the P. Arts Center should WOW you. There are many more materials to construct it out of than brick or stucco. I think a round(ish) design with some glass would be a great type of design.

I think the Kravis Center's glass is constructed to w/stand winds up to something like 150mph and yeah it's a lot bigger than the center that they are proposing for here, as it should be.

I lived for many years around stucco houses, but I still prefer them, just not the bright pink ones...ugh. The only thing I think I loathe more than brick and crappy myrtles are red maples. That stems from the fact that my neighbors have one and their leaves seem to always blow in MY yard. I guess you'll never have me design your house and landscaping DaiDreamer5.

I do love Live Oaks, but often times in commercial landscaping they are just too big for the project.

Of your design examples TJ I like Austin's best. Atlanta's is good but they'd have to scale down the size for Tally. I like the way they blended the old w/the new in Hartford and the Sacramento one while nice, it would make a much better airport IMO. Boise's is too much like a wedding cake and BR's I just can't really tell. The worst one far and above is Lincoln's. Yucky and sterile.

I still want this project to move along steadily. They've been chatting it up for years. Time to move w/it!

[csmurphy8885]

we no longer have to wrooy about that dead area between the CC and turlington... it will be sky high soon with an attractive location!

[poonther]

From the WCTV website:

"Paula Smith, Chair of the Performing Arts Center Committee, says, "The Civic Center will not be what it is today. What we have to envision is an incredible area with a plaza, a hype of activity with design integrity that will feature our performing arts center."

Smith says it will be five years more years before they start to turn dirt on the $150 million project."

Well I hope they build plenty of handicap parking and handicap viewing areas because by the time it's built, I'll be in a wheelchair.

Now which one of you whipper-snappers is gonna volunteer to push me around in the chair to these cultural events?

[P_McLane]

* * * "Paula Smith, Chair of the Performing Arts Center Committee, says, "The Civic Center will not be what it is today. What we have to envision is an incredible area with a plaza, a hype of activity with design integrity that will feature our performing arts center." * * *

What does she mean "The Civic Center will not be what it is today"? Do even the most preliminary plans for the city's performing arts campus suppose a removal or major structural retrofitting of the Civic Center? Or did she mean that the new context surrounding our same old, tired Civic Center will be incredible?

[Florida]

P. I'd go with the latter... I have the 1977 plan of how the Civic Center complex was supposed to look and it does include a performing arts center in the parking lot, as well as a hotel and some other office buildings. Apparently that current parking space was supposed to be home to many buildings that never made it.

I'll have to scan that image and get it uploaded sometime tomorrow.

But I learned today, asking specifically about this, that the Marriott Convention Hotel will likely never be built. But there is a subsitute hotel proposed just as nice, Embassy Suites, high rise, which was once proposed for the big lot between the Civic Center and Gaines Street.... more details to come soon.

[csmurphy8885]

ugly ole civic center...

Embassy should be promoted to express permiting. lets get 'er done

[TD]

I love embassy suites. it is a beautiful chain... they are so nice when ive stayed there and the hotels architecture is always so appealing.

[Florida]

I agree. Embassy Suites designs are far more attractive overall than the Marriotts. I'm still disappointed at the false hope given to us that the Marriott was still on its way to reality. I'll get over it though.

[gibson]

P. I'd go with the latter... I have the 1977 plan of how the Civic Center complex was supposed to look and it does include a performing arts center in the parking lot, as well as a hotel and some other office buildings. Apparently that current parking space was supposed to be home to many buildings that never made it.

I'll have to scan that image and get it uploaded sometime tomorrow.

But I learned today, asking specifically about this, that the Marriott Convention Hotel will likely never be built. But there is a subsitute hotel proposed just as nice, Embassy Suites, high rise, which was once proposed for the big lot between the Civic Center and Gaines Street.... more details to come soon.

how are the p.a.c. and a marriot hotel going to be built together on the civic center parking lot. would the civic center undergo renovations to better blend with the architecture of the other buildings. how will the final project complement each other architecturally? last thing....where are we along in the completion of this process?

sincerely,

gibson

P. I'd go with the latter... I have the 1977 plan of how the Civic Center complex was supposed to look and it does include a performing arts center in the parking lot, as well as a hotel and some other office buildings. Apparently that current parking space was supposed to be home to many buildings that never made it.

I'll have to scan that image and get it uploaded sometime tomorrow.

But I learned today, asking specifically about this, that the Marriott Convention Hotel will likely never be built. But there is a subsitute hotel proposed just as nice, Embassy Suites, high rise, which was once proposed for the big lot between the Civic Center and Gaines Street.... more details to come soon.

one last thing do you still have the original 1977 plans?

[Florida]

how are the p.a.c. and a marriot hotel going to be built together on the civic center parking lot. would the civic center undergo renovations to better blend with the architecture of the other buildings. how will the final project complement each other architecturally? last thing....where are we along in the completion of this process?

sincerely,

gibson

one last thing do you still have the original 1977 plans?

The PAC is in development right now and I'm sure whatever happens of it, hopefully it will look nothing like the civic center. I've advocated for changing the color of the civic center... I think the shape allows for some creativity without us tearing our pockets apart. Maybe tile on the roof instead of the metal, or if we really want to play up the whole Seminole thing, we could do some straw .

Here's the website for the Performing Arts Center

I'll try to get an old graphic of the 1977 plan uploaded soon.

[celebrated]

Arts center may get home

Group aims for Johns Building

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../604120314/1010

[poonther]

^ I say that article today in the Democrat. I think that site would be a terrific location for the PAC! Lots of parking already in the area and close to Kleman for eating and such. Now if it would just be built in my lifetime.

[Florida]

I absolutely think this location is far better than trying to squeeze this and any potential hotel into the Civic Center's parking lot. There was absolutely too much going on there. We're still not sure the Marriott project will move forward. It's really difficult to get a bank to lend you money when you're putting a private facility on public land. I wish there was a way we could make the parking lot private land, but surely there are good reasons why we can't.

Moving on, I think the visibility the John's Building location would offer is superb. It would be well seen from the Gaines Street Entertainment district, and the building would likely take its engineering/style from the looks of the Education building!!! Further, as Bronough becomes more of an active corridor with all of the Mixed Use Buildings and Condominiums going up, there will be more of a reason to beat down the sidewalk on in that area of Downtown.

It's happening slowly, but Tallahassee's downtown is taking a nice shape.

[csmurphy8885]

Oh yes... nice locale! I love the view form the pedestrian bridge on the Turl, it will just get better.

[poonther]

Ladies and Gentlemen we finally have a site......I think!

PAC

The more I thought about this proposed area and the other factors surrounding it, I think this was the best move. While private developers could probably turn over the dirt faster to build a hotel and what not there, I think this is a great location for the PAC. I also think having a a confirmed site should help more in securing funding for the project. I like what the Democrat said about having the PAC on Duval, that it would continue the flow of cultural amenities along Duval now on both sides of the Capitol. I know it's a risk they are taking by not turning this property over to the private sector, but all in all I think it's a good risk.

I also commend Gillum for taking a stand on this tough decision and for his pushing for action instead of the usual "postponing until we can do another study" that often happens around here. It also refreshing to read that he listened and did what the people seemed to want and not what was already a planned political agenda. Good going Andrew!

[csmurphy8885]

I suspect the site just west will be quick to attention now. I would love to see a hole filling, skyline contribution... With a desire to construct asap

[seminole]

The drive west (from South Tally) on Duval will be sweet when the Cascades Trail and PAC are completed. Especially if there is a high rise hotel/convention center/condo development at the Chevron site. Tallahassee will look so urban.

The drive west (from South Tally) on Duval will be sweet when the Cascades Trail and PAC are completed. Especially if there is a high rise hotel/convention center/condo development at the Chevron site. Tallahassee will look so urban.

OOOPS! That should read the drive north on Duval!!