A new $60 million performing arts center that would provide a venue for Broadway hits and stimulate theater attendance is just the ticket for Maryland -- and Baltimore's Howard Street -- according to a study recently drafted by consultants working for the state.
But fiscal and political realities suggest that development of the center is likely to move slowly.
"I don't think it's high on the legislative list or the governor's list, but it certainly is on the list of those who see the need for it," said Hope Quackenbush, former managing director of the Baltimore Center for the Performing Arts, who is the driving force behind the project. "I think we have to be patient."
The study calls for an arts complex to be built in the 900 block of North Howard Street -- and thus to become the cornerstone of the "Avenue of the Arts" that has been proposed by Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke.
"I support the project and I have conveyed my support to state government officials in the legislative and executive branches," said Mr. Schmoke, who was briefed on the study by the state Office of Planning.
The arts center would be paid for by state, local and private money, according to the study.
The heart of the theater complex is a 2,800-seat auditorium suitable for Broadway shows and for Baltimore Opera presentations. There also would be a 650-seat theater for dance and music performances. Another 250-seat combined studio theater and rehearsal hall would meet the needs of small local performing arts groups, said the report.
The $80,000 study, conducted by AMS Planning & Research Corp. of Connecticut, was commissioned last year by the state Office of Planning to analyze whether a new arts center made sense for Maryland.
"It's a fairly comprehensive look at the Broadway venues and the facility needs of the Baltimore area," said Ronald Kreitner, director of the Office of Planning. "The report makes a compelling case for the success of this endeavor."
The report, however, doesn't address what would happen to existing Baltimore theaters -- the 100-year-old Lyric Opera House on West Mount Royal Avenue and the Morris Mechanic Theatre on Charles Street -- if the new center were built.
Annual expenses for the new center are estimated at $2.06 million. It would generate about $1.62 million in revenue -- leaving deficit of $437,000, according to the study.
An additional $10 million endowment from the state would be necessary to provide "sufficient annual revenue to support the project operating deficit," it said.
Economic impact
In addition, the study estimated that the center would have an annual economic impact of $26.3 million on the community.
Theatergoers would be drawn to the city from two main areas: The primary market lies north of Baltimore and includes communities such as Pikesville, Owings Mills, Parkville and Towson, said the study. The other encompasses a 25-mile radius around the city and includes Annapolis.
By attracting people from outside the city, the center would halt a decline in theater attendance caused by the area's lack of "marquee attractions" such as "Miss Saigon" or "The Phantom of the Opera," said the study.
Attendance at Broadway shows given by the two major presenters -- Baltimore Center for the Performing Arts and the Performing Arts Presentations Inc. -- peaked in the 1989-1990 season at 516,586. For the next three years, the average annual combined attendance was about 421,000. Last year, however, the number fell to 293,350, said the study.
The dearth of big-ticket shows here is due to the limitations of existing theaters, according to the study.
High union fees, proximity to Washington and the 10 percent amusement tax are other deterrents to operating in Baltimore cited by promoters of touring shows.
The AMS consultants also considered whether renovations made existing theaters could meet the changing needs of the cultural community here.
A small stage, inefficient loading areas and some obstructed seating limit the productions at the Lyric, said the study. And the Mechanic has a small stage and limited seating capabilities.
But "investment in existing facilities would only serve as a stop-gap solution," the study said.
Not everyone convinced
Not everyone finds the study convincing.
"My position on it has always been pretty constant: that the Lyric can accommodate almost all the shows necessary for Baltimore," said H. Mebane Turner, president of the University of Baltimore and chairman of the executive committee of the Lyric Foundation.
"Occasionally you may miss some show like 'The Phantom' on its first time out, but we've been doing pretty well at the Lyric for a long time."
The foundation is requesting $1.2 million from the legislature to update and expand the Lyric. Last year, the city appropriated $600,000 for the renovations, and that amount will be matched by the Lyric, Mr. Turner said.
Mr. Turner, who said he had not seen a final copy of the report, also expressed concern about the cost of running a new, large performing arts center. "The economics of these things are what we need to concern ourselves with -- not just the cost of building them. The Lyric is solvent, gets no operating costs from the city or state and actually produces dollars rather than the reverse."
Clarisse Mechanic, widow of Morris Mechanic and head of the group that owns the theater that bears his name, had not seen the study, according to developer William Boucher, who spoke on her behalf.
A design competition was held last year to select an architect for the project. Even then, uncertainties surrounding the project caused a delay in the announcement of the winner; after months of deliberation, the five-member jury chose Rafael Vinoly Architects of New York.
No formal requests for money to finance the next step of the project are before the legislature, and thus far, money for the new arts center doesn't appear in the governor's budget proposal.
"Right now, the governor's office, legislators and city officials are reviewing the findings," said Mr. Kreitner of the Office of Planning.