Warren County Arts Center?

So, the story continues about a new performing arts center in the Lebanon area. Looks like things are moving.

Here's the story I wrote in December:

Warren County rallying support for arts center
AREA NEWS

New and refurbished arts centers are gaining steam around the region, from the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington to a planned arts and conference center in Blue Ash. Now, leaders in Warren County are voicing a dream for their own venue that would be a home for the county's rapidly growing arts - including dance, theater, classical music and visual art.

Nathan Smallwood, president of the Warren County Arts Council, and several arts supporters have met in recent weeks with community leaders and potential backers behind closed doors to rally support for a regional arts and performance center.

"We are working to get the community aligned toward a common vision around an arts center and a performance facility," he says.

Part of the rationale is Warren County's strategic position between Dayton and Cincinnati.

"I think there is the potential for this area to become a regional hub for arts and culture," says the Lebanon resident.

Smallwood e-mailed a proposal to area arts supporters, pitching that a unified committee of Warren County arts group representatives undertake a feasibility study for an arts center. Although there are no sketches or designs yet, desired elements would include an 800- to 1,000-seat theater, an art gallery, educational spaces and meeting rooms.

A locale will have to be chosen and it's too early to estimate cost. But in comparison, the proposed arts and convention center in Blue Ash is estimated to cost between $26 million and $30 million.

Indeed, the region seems poised to make an impact as a cultural center. Warren County is the second-fastest growing county in the state, with the second highest median household income. With the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters tennis tournament, Kings Island and the Great Wolf Lodge - all in Mason - recreation and tourism recently passed agriculture as Warren County's top industry, Smallwood says.

"But surprisingly, it is still underserved in terms of the arts," he says. "I think the (new) facility is going to light this bonfire and get us off to the races."

Arts groups in Warren County include the Lebanon Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Lebanon Theatre Company, Mason Children's Theater, community theater groups and a growing visual art community.

If it's large enough, such a venue could also become a regional tour stop for renowned ensembles such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera or Cincinnati Ballet. Smallwood, former president and CEO of CultureWorks in Dayton, says that several Dayton organization have expressed interest in touring to the region.

Smallwood is optimistic that it would be an asset for Warren County and the entire region.

"A community like this doesn't build an eight-figure facility every day. Let's hit it out of the park," he says.