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I'm wondering what all the rush is to build a concert hall that seats a mere 300 seats more than Aycock Auditorium. Does UNCG have a strict policy on the type of shows using the auditorium? It appears to be an elegant space; perhaps its stage size and support facilities are sub-par.
With all of the economic woes in Greensboro it would seem that $50+ million for a theater, of questionable aesthetics (I've seen the renderings), is absurd when the city is blessed with several sizable theatrical/concert venues, The Carolina, War Memorial and Aycock Auditoriums, and the Greensboro Coliseum. Other cities should be so lucky.
For some reason the city refuses to upgrade War Memorial, the acousitcs are horrible yet the seating is quite nice as far as visibility goes.
The Carolina Theater has acoustical limitations as well, neither this nor Aycock belong to the city. Perhaps the city feels it could freely recruit performances if it had it's own place.
Thanks, wsnc. I checked into the Durham thing, and you're essentially right. While 'envy' doesn't explain it all, it's about as good a one word descriptor as can be had.
It appears the high use of the Durham Performing Arts Center and the resulting eateries that have sprung up nearby it has produced a success story for the Durham municipal government. I think it is not so much the concert hall itself which is the envy of the Mayor and Council, it is the economic 'success' story they seek. And, lacking in good analytical ability, they believe copying Durham's example exactly will get for them a like success and the adulation that follows . . . oy vey.
It is easy to see that the two situations are not the same, and a similar result would not likely be duplicated. Circumstances in Durham were such that the city could not host many theatrical/entertainment events due to a lack of appropriately sized venues. There existed nothing between the under 1400 seat Carolina Theater and the 10,000+ concert capacity of Cameron Stadium. The largest theater on the Duke campus is the 1200+ Page Auditorium.
On the demand side, Durham sits amid the most liberal/progressive population in North Carolina. Chapel Hill in neighboring Orange County is just 10 miles away, and the most affluent population of Wake County (Raleigh) is closer to the center of Durham than it is Raleigh.
Thus, the supply/demand ratio (your best measure for predicting success) was highly in favor of the DPAC project. It is virtually the opposite in Greensboro. As mentioned above, GSO has available and well sized venues, while having perhaps half of the demand for such that exists around Durham.
Any new venue constructed in Greensboro may well meet its target for usage, but it will likely generate little, if any, net increase in performances for the city. There will simply be fewer performances held at War Memorial and Aycock Auditoriums.
As well, while I personally favor a vibrant city 'center' and think it the best location for such facilities, in this case the existing facilities lie closer to the city's population center and closer to its most affluent citizens who are not only the largest patron block for these venues but also the biggest contributors to performing arts groups who use them.
Any future concert hall should certainly be located in the historic heart of Greensboro, and it should be an edifice that will stand the test of time, a structure that is as treasured for its beauty in 2213, as it will be for its 'newness' today. And therefore, all the more reason to wait until both demand and resources are sufficient to accomplish both an economic success and an enduring architectural success.
The mayor and council need to have explained to them that success is predicated on supply and demand, and Durham and Greensboro differ greatly on those counts.
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