Arts & Cultural Plans
Chapman Cultural Center: Spartanburg, South Carolina
This study, prepared for the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg, evaluated the feasibility of a proposed multi arts, heritage and science center that includes a 500-seat theatre. The scope included an evaluation of facility management styles, market support, financial feasibility of the individual organizations as well as the facility, and economic impacts of the project. The Little Theater of Spartanburg would be a primary tenant of the theatre. The Chapman Cultural Center has been successfully developed in a downtown district that includes an amphitheater, hotel, convention center, and office space.
Bomes Theater Reuse: Providence, Rhode Island
The Bomes Theater, located on Broad Street in the South Side neighborhood of Providence, was identified as having re-use potential as a cultural and entertainment center in the local community. ConsultEcon, Inc. evaluated community need and potential for support; analyzed the market potential; prepared a preliminary building use plan; provided a preliminary redevelopment approach and evaluated the economic feasibility of the project.
Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities: Arvada, Colorado
Prepared, as a multi-disciplinary team, an organizational audit for this facility that is entering an expansion phase. Recommendations for organizational and financial improvements were made. Its offerings include performing arts, art museum, history museum, concerts and an active educational program.
West Kowloon Cultural District: Hong Kong, SAR, China
Completed economic feasibility evaluations for five cultural facilities to be developed in Kowloon, Hong Kong, including art museums and an art exposition center. These museums would be part of a large mixed-use real estate development.
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts: Bethel, New York
Worked as part of a multi-disciplinary consulting team working to create a development program and to prepare a first-level master plan for the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located at the site of the original Woodstock festival. Our work focused on the visitor center component and the nature center component. This included working with the team to refine its program, to prepare a preliminary feasibility study for the visitor center and nature center, and to define next steps. The Performance Center opened in 2006 and the museum opened in 2008.
Community Arts Center: Quincy, Massachusetts
Provided advice to a local redevelopment agency on market, financial and organizational issues to guide the redevelopment of a downtown building as a not-for-profit multi-purpose arts building. Uses included artists’ studios, arts college classes, office space for arts-related businesses, gallery and a performing arts venue. Market analysis, tenant mix, creative financing, operating pro formas and organizational structure were analyzed.
Goodspeed Opera House: East Haddam, Connecticut
As one component of their long term vision, the Goodspeed Opera House has considered developing a showboat that would transit the Connecticut River. Utilizing data from primary market research conducted for this project and comparable showboats, ConsultEcon, Inc. evaluated the potential market support for the project. A second study evaluated the potential for a new 650-seat theatre to be programmed together with the current historic theatre.
Hyde Park Retail Market Study and Action Plan: Boston, Massachusetts
Evaluated market conditions and identified revitalization strategies for neighborhood business district for Boston Redevelopment Authority and Hyde Park Main Streets. Market review included customer demographics, consumer spending potential, and commercial mix analysis. We conducted a combined intercept and online survey to understand customer perceptions of the business district and inform strategic recommendations. The final recommendations focused on enhancing the district’s arts-related identity through targeted business recruitment and introduction of more regular and special events.
