We need your help…
Express interest for a new, state-of-the art Performing Arts Center on your survey:
The Villages is a wonderful place to live…but we are missing a true Performing Arts Center. We, as residents, will have an opportunity to comment when we complete the “2009 Villages Survey” between March 10 and March 31. As in 2008, this year’s survey will be in two parts:
1. The Community Development District section
2. The Developer section
It is essential that each household complete their survey and re-affirm their wishes by
“writing in” comments in BOTH SECTIONS. The first line of comments must begin: Performing Arts Center is needed…! This standardized response will allow these write in comments to be tallied.
Thank you.
More information about this project
VPAA (Volunteers Performing Arts Alliance), a non-profit organization, was formed by a number of residents of The Villages who want to build a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center to serve The Villages and the surrounding tri-county area. We request that all Village residents participate in the “2009 Villages Survey”. The building of a new performing arts center is a complex issue involving securing land, obtaining funding, and resolving interrelationships between the Villages developer, the Community Development Districts, and the local and county governments of Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties. In order to move to the next step of resolving these issues, it is necessary for the Villages community to speak up and voice their desire for a new, larger, comfortable, and more technically able Performing Arts Center. Our growing community deserves this new facility. The “2009 Villages Survey” is presently the only vehicle for us to make our wishes known.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the VPAA?
The Volunteers Performing Arts Alliance (VPAA) is a non-profit corporation formed under IRS Section 501C3 that was established to raise funds, secure land, and design/construct/maintain a new performing arts center. Members of the Steering Committee of VPAA have no connection to the developer, any political party or any government organization. Volunteers are people with backgrounds in theatre and communication, education, and many other kinds of work. An astonishing amount has been accomplished by the volunteers.
To date, VPAA has achieved the following:
Arranged for a 1,200 person on-line resident survey ( November 2007) to assess community interest in construction of a new performing arts center.
Contracted with a consultant for in-depth interviews with 50 plus local business and government leaders to determine feasibility of building a new and larger performing arts center (October-December,2007).
Prepared with assistance of an architect a preliminary design for the new performing arts center.
Compared performing arts facilities in areas similar to The Villages area as to number and types of events, on-going funding, and potential cash flow.
Prepared a pro-forma budget with assistance of AMS Planning and Research Corp for the Arts and Entertainment Industries (October,2008).
Published a monthly newsletter to inform community about work of Steering Committee. View past issues of newsletter at
www.VPAA.org.
Presented information to Village community through booth at both Squares in November and December 2008.
Private donations from interested Village residents have allowed the above various activities to take place.
What are the benefits of the proposed new Performing Arts Center?
Benefits would include:
Involvement of Acoustical Engineers in design to assure state-of-the-art sound, and acoustics in the building.
Comfortable seating with good views of the stage for all audience members
Lighting design incorporated in planning process.
Fly Space to facilitate creation of multiple scenes for plays, musical theatre, etc.
Handicap seating and viewing locations.
Larger seating capacity enabling presentation of profitable Broadway-type road shows and other cultural events.
Refreshment area.
Areas for viewing paintings and other visual arts created by Village residents and other local talent.
Adequate toilet facilities to accommodate needs of older patrons.
Dressing rooms for entertainers.
Comfortable venue for the artistic talents of Village residents.
Why the Need for Community Input:
Despite the fact that the proposed new performing arts center would be built and maintained by an independent non-profit corporation (independent from Villages government organizations and not funded by Villagers amenity fees), the issue of building a performing arts center is a complex issue involving a myriad of different stakeholders. The persons would include the Developer, the Sumter Landing and Village Community Development Districts, local officials of neighboring towns, county officials of Sumter, Marion and Lake Counties, and other interested parties. With all these parties, no one at this time is willing to proceed with the next steps without knowing if Village residents actually support construction of a new facility.
The “2009 Villages Survey” provides a vehicle for residents to express their desire for the performing and visual arts. It is important to acknowledge, however, that your positive comments do not guarantee a facility will be built or even that discussions between the various stakeholders can commence…but your comments do demonstrate that the community wants a new, TRUE performing arts center. The hope of VPAA is that this demonstration of support will encourage the necessary discussion and planning steps to begin.
It is also important to realize that if there is no substantial interest expressed in building the proposed performing arts center, it will be very difficult to generate any interest from the Developer, local officials and public or private funding to help build this project.
Who will pay for construction and operation costs?
The facility will be built with private donations, corporate grants, matching donations, and state/federal funds that are presently available for building and maintaining such facilities.
Who pays for on-going costs?
On-going costs would come from ticket prices, corporate sponsorships, private endowments and rental fees.
Will Village amenity fees be used to support the facility?
No! VPAA recommends that the proposed Performing Arts Center be built and maintained by a non-profit corporation with no connection or support from Village resident amenity fees.
Why don't The Village developers build the new performing arts center?
The Village Developers have indicated that owning and maintaining a Performing Arts Center is a business they do not see as part of their “expertise”. However, as VPAA has explored possibilities with business and investors outside of The Villages, it has become apparent that no one is willing to work with us until they are assured the Developer is not opposed to this venture. It is hoped that a strong showing on the “2009 Villages Survey” will enable us to open such dialogue..
What help from you is needed?
To reiterate, if you feel that the Villages community should have a state-of-the-art performing arts center, then you should enter on the first line of your comments of both the Community Developments Districts section of the survey and the Developer’s section of the survey the following statement: Performing Arts Center is needed….
If you agree, please forward this message to your fellow Village residents. Thank you.