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Future of arts center still undecided
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com, @Bill_PlanoStar on Twitter
The fate of the Arts Center of North Texas was all but sealed when Frisco voters revoked funding for the project last year.
However, nearly a year and a half later, questions still surround the future of a project that would have brought a $66 million venue for Broadway shows and symphonies to Collin County. Chief among the questions is whether the project will be spun off or whether it will be dissolved and have its assets split among its owner cities: Plano, Allen and Frisco.
"We clearly indicated quite a while ago that we were not going to be funding this anymore once it was clear that Frisco was withdrawing," Plano Mayor Phil Dyer said. "There is no way this thing is going to go forward as a two-city project with just Allen and Plano. I think that was driven home a long time ago."
"Fundamentally, the voters chose not to fund this project, and by doing so, have basically said they want out," said Frisco Mayor Maher Maso. "The city council's goal is to get the best possible outcome for our residents and our taxpayers. ... That doesn't just mean the assets, because there are a lot of things involved in that."
To further the potential dissolution process, the three cities hired the law firm of Bourland, Wall & Wenzel to help answer questions relating to what happens to donations made to the project -- including both the land and up to $2.4 million in cash.
"Does the land go back to the original donor or do the cities have control?" Dyer said. "It has taken a long time to get clarity on that matter, and that is really the big hang-up. We are also trying to get clarity on what each city wanted to do in the event there were assets that would be coming back to the city rather than going back to the donors."
Allen Mayor Stephen Terrell is a vocal supporter of the project. In the past, the Allen City Council has expressed desire to continue the project, a move that puts them at odds with their counterparts in Frisco. However, Terrell said he believes the cities will be able to come to an agreement that is beneficial to all parties.
"Allen has always been able to do what we need to do to work it out," Terrell said. "You have to accept certain things to go down the road. If we get to the point where we all three agree on things, all three cities will accept it."
The third-party law firm's investigation is close to completion and the project's board of directors heard a report on the findings on Thursday afternoon. Prior the meeting, Board President Bobby Baggett said he expects a final decision to be discussed in the next two months.
"I believe the cities are still working out a recommendation among themselves," Baggett said. "But it was far enough along that we needed to hear a report from our attorney about where we were in the process. ... I would imagine [the final decision] would be at next month's meeting."
Regardless of what happens, representatives from all three cities must work together on future projects and that the arts center decision would not affect future relations.
"The arts center project was a partnership between various cities and for different reasons the partnership is now dissolving," said Frisco Assistant City Manager Henry Hill. "... At the end of the day, the cities are going to keep working together on other projects, so coming to a mutual decision is what is desired."
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