You?ve got to have art

FORT COLLINS — Some people would call it art.
The Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority calls it economic development.
The DDA has fashioned a plan to create a cultural beehive in the city?s central business district, including possibilities for an amphitheater, a museum and an artists? compound.
In recent meetings the DDA, in league with the Downtown Business Association and the city government, has discussed prospects for all of the above.
Most concrete among the cultural projects is expansion of the Fort Collins Museum on Mathews Street at the edge of Old Town.
?The museum had a study done indicating as the city grows it needs to as well,? said Kim Jordan, the owner of New Belgium Brewing Co. and current chair of the DDA.
Presently, the museum spans 15,000 square feet. The study indicated it needed to be closer to 50,000 square feet, according to Jordan.
The actually gallery space is approximately 4,000 square feet, and the proposed expansion could add up to 7,000 square feet of usable space. By expanding the gallery space, the museum would expand its scope and possibilities, according to Cheryl Donaldson, museum director.
?We are hoping to attract traveling exhibits of world-class nature,? Donaldson said.
The expansion of about 10,000 square feet would be located directly east of the existing building. The total cost for the project would be $6.5 million. The DDA decided to pledge $1 million to the project if it is approved. Approval depends upon the extension of the one-quarter cent Building Community Choices tax. The tax, approved in 1997, will expire in 2005 if not extended.
If the tax for the museum project makes it on the ballot, it will be up to the voters to decide if it will continue.
Keeping the museum in the downtown area is an important goal for the Downtown Development Authority in achieving a downtown cultural district, according to Jordan.
The $1 million dollar pledge would come from the DDA?s Tax Increment Fund. This money comes from increased property taxes that occur when improvements are made in the downtown district.
In addition to the museum expansion, the DDA vision includes an amphitheater for concerts and other performances. The DDA Board of Directors has discussed a possible partnership with the Downtown Business Association, a marketing alliance of downtown retailers, to develop the venue.
Recently, the DDA board authorized a lawyer to formalize a proposal that would give the Downtown Business Association money to begin the project. The proposal would include certain obligations laid out by the DDA. The Downtown Business Association?s approval of the conditions of the proposal will be needed before the partnership can proceed.

Cultural committee formalized
Last fall, the DDA authorized the formation of a committee to work on the Old Town cultural district. At a DDA board meeting on April 1, the board formalized the committee by approving guidelines for operation and naming it the Old Town Cultural District Subcommittee.
?It needed to be formalized so that it operates under the same rules and regulations as the DDA,? said Chip Steiner, DDA director.
Projects the committee oversees could include the library expansion and the amphitheater. The subcommittee will consist of representatives from the DDA Board of Directors, the city of Fort Collins, the Downtown Business Association, the arts community, the real estate planning and development community, the environmental community, public schools and Colorado State University. The DDA board has drafted a list of people for the subcommittee, but Steiner said he is still awaiting confirmation.
The DDA initiative coincides with another effort to establish an arts, culture and science taxing district.
?(Fort Collins) is a very arty town,? said Anne MacDonald, director of Arts Alive. ?The only way to consistently fund the arts is through a taxing district.?
The tax would be a sales tax of about one-cent on every $10 and would raise about $1.5 million annually to support art, science and culture in Fort Collins. MacDonald said the tax will not be up for a citizen vote for another two to three years. MacDonald is applying for a grant to fund a formal study. The study would look at the current interaction between groups, including the DDA, to support the arts and the affect that the arts has on the community.
The goal of this tax is to build the arts in Fort Collins and keep them here, according to MacDonald.
A 2001 national study that looked at the relationship between the economy and the arts showed non-profit arts activities generated $9.3 million in economic impact in Fort Collins. The industry supports 299 full-time jobs, generates $738,000 in local and state government revenue and spends $3.9 million annually. Additionally, the nonprofit arts industry brings in audiences that spend an additional $5.4 million on local businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and retail stores.

Artist compound possible
Another potential factor in the downtown picture is the interest of Blossom Management, a real estate development agency, in building an artist compound on DDA land between Cherry and Maple streets. The compound would be composed of living space, studio work space and retail space.
Blossom Management has built three similar projects, which they call workshops, including a 179-unit facility in Glendale. Steiner said Blossom called him to see if the DDA would be interested in assisting with such a project and if Steiner thought Fort Collins was a good market for this venture.
Furthermore, the DDA is discussing the possibility of a joint venture with Fort Collins-based Bohemian Foundation, headed by billionaire Pat Stryker, to build a combined art school/lecture/conference facility. The concept remains on the drawing board, according to Steiner, and has not been discussed with the foundation yet.
One more player surfacing in downtown Fort Collins is Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., a nationally known ?New Urbanist? design firm. The company has contacted Steiner about a visit to Fort Collins.
The design firm is planning seven projects around the country with one likely in Colorado. Duany Plater-Zyberk has heard about the cultural district efforts in downtown Fort Collins and expressed interest in the city, said Steiner, who hopes to meet with firm representatives when they?re in town.

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