FWCPA Update for August, 2011

Time to update the activity currently happening on the performing arts and civic center project.  So much has been happening, it seemed appropriate to wait until we could report some details.

In December the City purchased the former Toys R Us site with funds from the state.  The City Council agreed to the process of hiring an architectural firm to begin conceptual designs on how the facility would fit on the land. The addition of the civic center aspect is relatively new, so little detail had been discussed.  There had been three feasibility studies done in recent years, primarily on the performance hall.  The civic center will add a multitude of potential uses to the facility, and will be more attractive for conferences, hobby shows, receptions, large organizational gatherings, classes, and various competitions that need rooms for both performance and meeting space.  We anticipate some involvement, particularly at the high school level, for classes in technical skills in sound and lighting and set building.  Discussions with the Federal Way School District are to be planned.

The City appointed an Advisory Committee, with representatives from the business community, a hotelier, a City Council member, a school board member, a structural engineer, and from the Federal Way Coalition of the Performing Arts.  The city staff person leading the group is Bryant Enge.

The first action taken by the Advisory Committee was to send out a Request for Qualifications for the architectural firm.  There were fifteen responses, including one from London, one from the Netherlands, and various parts of the United States.  The committee narrowed the selection to four, interviewed the finalists, rated them, and finally selected LMN Architectural Firm of Seattle.  The presentations by each of the firms were impressive.   They had all done considerable research on Federal Way, and offered their total team for part of the presentations.  LMN designed Benaroya Hall and  McCaw Hall in Seattle as well as McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon, which we’ve adopted as our model for what we imagine would fit here.

Upcoming discussions with LMN Architects, potential user groups and then some public meetings are being organized, once the contract is approved. 

Fund raising will be the next important step, and what role the FWCPA will play has not been determined, although discussions have begun.  Whether the city decides to pursue bonding or focus on grants, partnerships, private donations, and naming rights to raise funds is in the early stages of discussion. 

There will be opportunity for anyone interested to participate in a variety of committees in the near future.  From the FWCPA’s involvement  in raising funds for the Knutzen Family Theatre, we have experience in developing themes, presentations and other fund raising ideas. 

We will update this information as decisions are made, so continue to check us out, and if you have any fundraising ideas, jot them down….we’ll need them all!