In cities and towns across America, performing arts centers are supporting their local economies, helping existing businesses, creating new jobs and increasing the local and regional tax base.
The new performance center will strengthen the development of local arts groups, providing spaces for rehearsal and performance, and attracting new audiences into the region.
Potential Market
Studies conducted early in our planning indicated a potential audience of more than 185,000 attendees a year—twice the current attendance of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and comparable to the Peace Center in Greenville, SC, and similar facilities around the country.
Much of the increase derives from the much broader range of entertainment that The Performance Center will offer - especially major touring productions and notable artists from around the world - that are known to attract patrons from further distances.
Two market research studies were conducted in 2004-2005:
Economics Research Associates (2004) found that the largest unmet needs were for large musical and non-musical shows. These are the biggest draws, representing nearly 30% of the attendance at all performing arts events. The study estimated 70% of the audience would come from within a 30-mile radius, and 30% from outside that area.
Surale Phillips of Decision Support Partners, Inc. (2005) projected demand from a 22-county region, including 17 counties in Western North Carolina and five counties along the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Eighty percent of the audience is estimated to live within the 22-county area and 20% to be tourists.
Economic Impact
The Performance Center is expected to create a variety of positive economic impacts for the City, County and larger region. All of these impacts are subject to a “multiplier” effect. The multiplier refers to the impacts of spending associated with the construction, operations and activity around the Performance Center. This spending, and then the re-spending of those dollars, adds value to the economy. There are multiple “impact” factors at play with the project including:
- Impact of Construction - the one-time economic impact of people, materials and services to build the Performance Center.
- Impact of Annual Operations - the annual impact of local jobs created, materials and services purchased locally for the ongoing operation of the Center.
- Impact of Annual Ancillary Spending - money spent on tickets and the economic impact on goods and services providers that cater to the additional activities of those ticket purchasers (dining, overnight stays, etc.)
- Fiscal Impact on Local and State Government - thousands of patrons attending performances and activities in the Center will annually generate new tax revenue.
Long-term business opportunities will be offered to all qualified regional residents and firms. We are committed to support the involvement of firms in Western North Carolina.
The Performance Center is committed to promoting life-long learning through the performing arts. Working in partnership with area arts organizations, schools, local artists, and our talented performers, we will implement high quality, innovative instructional programs designed to:
- Nurture and cultivate talented young artists.
- Give teachers new tools for enriching classroom programs.
- Bring families together for classes and workshops.
- Provide seniors with dynamic continuing education opportunities.
The Performance Center in Asheville will be much, much more than a new home for the programs that Asheville already enjoys. Yes, the Asheville Symphony, Bravo Concerts, and Lyric Opera will now be able to perform in an acoustically superb concert environment, allowing their artists and their companies to shine, but more than that:
- National tours of popular Broadway shows will return to Asheville.
- Legendary jazz, country and western, bluegrass and contemporary artists will appear on stage—artists that you now must travel to Atlanta or Charlotte to enjoy.
- The region's best local artists and presenting organizations will find a home at The Performance Center.
- Casual concerts and weekend festivals will take place on our grounds and in adjacent Pack Square Park.
Our site is immediately adjacent to the City’s Eagle/Market Streets district, the historic center of the African American community in Asheville, and one of the areas highlighted as an opportunity for development in the city’s Downtown Master Plan.
We are in active conversation with a number of community-based organizations in the area, to build understanding of our mutual goals and to discuss how we can work together to coordinate our planning. We are excited to be a part of the emerging vision for revitalizing this historic and vital neighborhood.
