Today, North Central College dedicates its fine arts center, the first major performing arts venue to open in town since, well, North Central opened Pfeiffer Hall in 1926.
The centerpiece of the multi-theater facility is the Wentz Concert Hall, a beautiful-looking and absolutely spectacular-sounding space for jazz, orchestral and other musical performances. Finally, Naperville has in its downtown a venue comparable to the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet or the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, in terms of architectural beauty and significance.
The best thing about North Central's latest contribution to the downtown Naperville scene is that it didn't cost taxpayers one dime. It was funded entirely by donations and gifts--no tax breaks, not even a land swap, or break on infrastructure improvements. How do you like that?
Let's find out how culturally refined the participants in this forum are. How interested are you in NCC's new fine arts center? Do you plan to hear or see a musical or theatrical performance there? Are you more likely to plan to go to a concert at North Central because of the new center? Or are you more likely to stick to the type of entertainment offered at Quigley's, Frankie's Blue Room and the other watering holes in town?
Seems likely that people visiting the performing arts center will also visit our local restaurants and shops which will drive tax revenue. Additional revenue with no additional parking spaces, we got one right!
In the evening, it is frequently easy to find a parking spot in the downtown, maybe the arts center can fill some of them up with additional paying customers.
Anonymous 10/19/08 3:40PM:
Why should Fred become a napergatian and take over for the group? He is not the one wishing someone else would take action. Either you, or one of the many Anonymous posters is wishing for that. It is the standard rallying cry of the napergatians to ask for someone else to step up instead of doing it themselves.
First off we don't know with certainty if that really is Bill Brestal or simply someone posing to be him.
If it is him, and considering his long history of dealing with the city on similar issues, it would be best if he stated exactly what his or his firms professional involvement was with the Wentz Concert Hall and/or the Omnia group.
To Bill Brestal: I'm not too worried about that. Don't you think that patrons of NCC's arts center, when parking in the city's existing parking, will kill a little time before/after the show with a slice of lasagna at Rosebud or a beer at Jimmy's? Especially in a down economy, I can't help but believe that downtown merchants are pleased as punch regarding the opening of NCC's venue.
Besides, if the developers get their way, more...and some would argue unneeded...parking garages are on the way anyway. This will of course be subsidized by the special tax those downtown diners...including the ones on their way to shows at NCC...will be paying to build those "free" garages. They'll also be paying the "culture tax" which provides public funds for such essential cultural services as overtime for police officers who stand around watching us stand around watching Ted Nugent at Ribfest.
Regarding Mr. Brestal's comments above, readers should evaluate his comments within the context of his being part of the Omnia Performing Arts group.
Personally, I have to admire his chutzpah. When you consider the numerous significant concessions Omnia is looking for from the city (a $120 million TIF being the most notable), to then grouse that NCC got a "concession" from the city too, is pretty humorous. Especially when the concession relates to parking, and NCC paid for theirs.
There most certainly were taxpayer-related concessions for this project. Does no one remember that the City caved on the parking demands for this project? The college was not required to add any parking and gets to take advantage of the city's existing parking. True, there was some money paid to the city for that, but it's simply incorrect to characterize this as being done without concession.
Fred,
What will your contribution be to these "productive" Napergate ads?
Or do you expect others to fight your battle and their battle only at THEIR expense!
Why don't you join the Napergatians with your wallet and voice and be productive as you want them to be productive....
Like many others I would like to see those Napergate ads resume and keep the city in check as they once did.
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So what are you waiting for? Cough up some money and call the Sun advertising department. I am sure the minority handful of napergatians wouldn't mind donating to the cause. Quit whining on the blogs and do something productive.
Hopefully this will stop the Omnia project which was going to be taxpayer subsidized.
The city council needs to understand that private ventures should take the burden of the associated risk.
With an 11 million deficit budget coming next year, we can ill afford to subsidize Omnia or any other establishment project.
Building Omnia would also hurt this new NCC concert hall. That would not be fair.
Good luck to NCC. I wish them success and admire them for coming up with their own money and accepting responsibility for their own risks.
If the establishment folks in town want to build OMNIA, the city council must let them take all the risks involved....no more subsidization at the expense of the taxpayer.
It is amazing how loose our city council has become with taxpayer funds since the Napergate Man retired his full page Napergate ads in the Naperville Sun.
Like many others I would like to see those Napergate ads resume and keep the city in check as they once did.
Otherwise we will have endless chaotic spending with taxpayer money!
I am pleased as punch that we now have a new concert hall in town. However, I probably won't be going to it or any other music or watering hole venue anytime soon as there just isn't any money in my entertainment budget for that type of spending. But I certainly extend my heartfelt congrats to NCC.