COUNCIL BACKS CSUN ARTS CENTER.Byline: James Nash Staff Writer Plans to build a performing arts center A performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is a multi-use performance space that can be adapted for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. at California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an - long a goal of San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. arts patrons who say the area lacks cultural venues - received a boost Friday with a unanimous vote of support from the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. .
The council did not commit any money to the planned $100 million, 1,600-seat arts center, which would be the largest of its kind in the Valley. Instead, council members threw their support behind the project, which supporters called a crucial step toward encouraging private individuals and companies to donate to it. ``We think it is a strong and powerful statement that the momentum of this campaign has built up,'' said John Chandler For the Bishop of Salisbury who died in 1426, see . John Chandler (February 1, 1762—September 25, 1841) was an American politician and soldier of Maine. The political career of Chandler, a Democratic-Republican, was interspersed with his involvement in the state , a CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge spokesman. ``It is the university's No. 1 building priority and certainly it will be our No. 1 fund-raising priority in the years to come.'' So far, the university has received about $250,000 toward the $100 million to $110 million cost of the center, Chandler said. A formal fund- raising campaign is expected to launch in July. Chandler said he expects about half of the cost of the center to come from private donations and the other half from construction bonds for public universities in California. CSUN officials hope to open the venue by 2010, Chandler said. Valley residents have long complained that the area is short of cultural venues compared with downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or and the Westside. ``There's always been that thought that there's not much culture in the Valley other than the 'Valley Girl,''' said Carlos Ferreyra, a leader of the 2002 secession campaign in which the lack of arts venues was an issue. ``We've always had the desire to showcase the artists and musicians and performers who live in the Valley. Downtown is not the heart of the city.'' Councilman Greig Smith, whose district includes Northridge, said the CSUN center will begin to remedy the shortage of cultural outlets. ``For the San Fernando Valley, we have a limited number of facilities,'' Smith said. ``Certainly that was one of the big issues of the secession campaign - that the Valley was overlooked for cultural and other facilities.'' James Nash, (213) 978-0390 james.nash(at)dailynews.com |
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