By Mike Lewis

Since 2009, the three-day Electric Zoo Festival has been held annually on Randall’s Island off of Manhattan in New York City over the long Labor Day Weekend. At that time of year, the average temperature is around 80º F (26º C), but has been known to soar as high as 100º F (37º C). Several comparable summer festivals around the world experience similar temperatures, and safety is generally a chief concern.

“Heat-related illnesses have become a huge issue across the entire industry, so our first priority is always the safety and comfort of our attendees,” said Rutger Jansen, Director of Production and Operations for Electric Zoo. “Although things like water stations and misting cannons aren’t particularly memorable items, they contribute significantly to a positive overall experience, and they’re essential for the growth of events like ours, which has already expanded to other locations around the globe.”

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The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) announced that it is now LEED Certified for Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance (EBOM). The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

“Sustainability is a priority at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and we are proud to be LEED Certified,” said Jeff Johnson, executive director

of the MCC. “It is our responsibility, not only as meetings and events leaders, but also as citizens of the world to think beyond the walls of our facility and how our actions impact the community at large.

“Take for instance the mighty Mississippi River, which flows directly through downtown Minneapolis and serves as the backbone of our community. Due to a major sustainability effort to install a 250,000 gallon storm water system, we are now diverting an estimated 5.4 million gallons of runoff rainwater annually from the river and redirecting it to our underground storage system for the facility’s irrigation.”

“We strive to use our resources responsibly at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and it became clear we needed to take bold steps to change our primary source of irrigation among other efficiency efforts,” Johnson added. “This mindset has become the cornerstone of our sustainability program and guides our efforts to be the best facility possible for our clients, our staff and the entire community.”

Examples of ongoing notable sustainability initiatives at the MCC include offsetting energy usage by 100 percent with solar and wind power, recycling 60 percent of waste in 2016, collecting 160 tons of organics for hog feed and composting, donating four tons of food per year and creating a pollinator garden.

“To further reduce the waste that is generated by meetings and conventions, it is imperative to work with an award-winning culinary partner like Kelber Catering who values sustainability,” Johnson said. “As we continue to push the needle to improve efficiencies and reduce waste, we are thrilled to have seasoned chef and Kelber veteran John Doody at the helm as our newly named executive chef.”

Atlanta’s legendary Fox Theatre has hired historic preservation and community development expert Leigh Burns to manage the Fox Theatre Institute’s (FTI) program. FTI is a programming, consulting, and grant funding division of Fox Theatre, Inc. that has committed more than $1 million in grants for restoration and operation assistant of Georgia’s historic theaters.

In her role as director of the Fox Theatre Institute, Burns will develop and implement FTI’s strategic work plans and programs. In addition, Burns will effectively oversee FTI’s annual budgets. FTI awards financial grants to assist venues across Georgia in maintenance and physical improvement efforts. Eligible venues receive assistance in response to emergency support, historic structure study or planning, technical assistance, and preservation grant. FTI also coordinates ‘Fox in a Box,’ a free interactive curriculum-based resource for area elementary schools, and Georgia Presenters, an innovative statewide talent booking consortium.

“Leigh Burns’ impressive background plus her passion for historic preservation will be a great asset to the Fox Theatre and the Fox Theatre Institute,” said Fox Theatre’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Adina Erwin. “We’re thrilled to have Leigh leading our FTI program, and am excited to see its growth under her stewardship.”

Burns brings 17 years of historic preservation planning and community development experience. She previously served as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Georgia Main Street Program at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. In this role, Burns supported the success of more than 100 Georgia Main Street Programs. Prior to her work with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Burns worked for several years with the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

“I’ve been a fan of the Fox Theatre and, most notably, the great work of the Fox Theatre Institute to support theaters throughout the state of Georgia,” said Burns. “Joining the FTI team will allow me the opportunity to not only preserve beautiful theaters and structures, like the Fox Theatre, but to work hands-on with communities to ensure economic development.”

Burns currently holds a board position with the Georgia Downtown Association and the Young Harris College Alumni Board. She actively volunteers with the Historic Oakland Foundation and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. She received a Master of Heritage Preservation degree from Georgia State University in 2001, and completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and associate degree from Young Harris College.

In less than 10 years, FTI has offered financial assistance, restoration support, and operations mentoring needed to leverage scare resources and stimulate economic growth and arts opportunities of local communities. FTI’s innovative program received the Governor’s Award in Arts and Humanities in 2013 for its contribution to Georgia’s civic and cultural vitality.

By Wenger Corporation/J.R. Clancy

Last week we met Greg Garfield, President of Public/Private LLC in Dallas, who is involved in the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences facility under construction in Lubbock, Texas.

What factors contribute to successful PAC projects – those that meet deadlines, budgets and objectives? In Part 1, Garfield discussed the roles played by his firm and its partners, including development services, market studies, community engagement, conceptual design and budgeting. In Part 2 this week, Garfield discusses budgeting, options for ownership, related financial considerations and the importance of involving the PAC facility operator early.

Soup-to-Nuts Budgeting

Armed with the PAC building program and conceptual design, Garfield partners with an active, blue-chip contractor familiar with the local community. “We’re looking for a firm with relevant experience, capable of providing guaranteed maximum price and completion dates with payment performance bonds, if needed,” he says. Either that contractor or a cost consultant that specializes in PACs helps create an early development budget.

This budget includes all of the hard and soft costs, direct and indirect construction costs, professional fees, pre-opening costs, etc. “It’s everything we can think of – from soup to nuts – that it will cost to complete and open the building,” comments Garfield. He says the budget includes various contingencies appropriate for an early phase project.

If the project moves ahead, Garfield’s firm works to further develop and refine the design with the architect and engineer, reducing contingencies along the way. “We want to ensure there’s a realistic budget so we can meet the guaranteed maximum price set by the contractor,” he notes.

Ownership, Financing, and Funding

Garfield says the last piece of pre-development strategic analysis is perhaps the most important: the ownership, financing and funding. Who will own the facility? The city? A nonprofit? “There are many different options for ownership, governance and operations,” he notes. Performing arts centers and other cultural, sports and entertainment venues developed or planned by Garfield have variously been owned by cities or counties, municipally controlled special purpose vehicles, intergovernmental entities or 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

Financing and funding may come from a variety of sources, including philanthropic grants or contributions, naming rights, box seat/suite sales, personal seat licenses, facility net operating income, facility fees, parking revenue and/or financing from one or more municipal agencies/sponsors.

Sources of repayment for municipal bond financing may include increments of sales tax, hotel occupancy tax, TIF income and many other revenue streams. “Every community is different in the municipal financing tools available,” says Garfield. He says that financings for his company’s developments have never required recourse to a municipality’s general fund or its commitment to raise residential property taxes if needed. Garfield works with each client to determine the best possible financing structure consistent with the client’s financial and legal goals and constraints.

Foundation for Success

PACs and other public assembly facilities planned and developed by Garfield have had a variety of different operating models. Whether the operator is a municipality, a private nonprofit, or a commercial operator, Garfield recommends including the operator early in the design process to help ensure the facility is properly planned and equipped. Having the operator’s early involvement along with an experienced theater consultant helps to ensure that all programmatic elements and equipment are included; that spaces are designed for maximum operational efficiency; and that artists, guests, and building staff are secure and comfortable.

Many communities get the “cart before the horse” in approaching performing arts centers and other facilities, says Garfield. Announcing ambitions before a comprehensive strategic business plan is conducted, or designing a building without appropriate planning and assessment of financing and funding capacity are common mistakes. According to Garfield, this can be counterproductive and delay the realization of desired facilities for years. Much more than just a market study, Garfield says good strategic business planning by an experienced developer is the necessary first phase to ensure a successful development.

Garfield says, “We apply a level of professional rigor in early planning that produces results that are diligently researched, realistic and reliable so that community ‘buy-in’ is achieved and there is a solid foundation for success.”

J.R. Clancy’s Patrick Finn is a member of IAVM. Clancy serves as a subsidiary of Wenger Corporation.

This article was originally published by Wenger Corporation on its performing arts blog at http://performance.wengercorp.com/blog/