Where is the $100 million for a new suburban location? This is the number one, two and three most important points. It’s irrelevant where it will be located and it’s a waste of community’s time following the “fantasy parade” of suburban cities that “want” the Arts Center but have no idea how it will be built!

I am not aware of any community in America that is planning a mega 3,000 seat theater. And I am not aware of any Broadway theater that is located in a suburb. The vast majority….if not all are located in the central district of a city.

Before any site selection is made…be it the enhanced Auditorium Theater Complex or a new suburban location…it is “essential” that community leaders…both public and private….agree on an action plan. Right now, we only have Arnie Rothschild/RBTL’s ‘desire” to build a $100 million suburban Theater with only $200,000 in the bank account!

If I may respectfully disagree (as usual) with the postings of the writer known as rochester99 concerning what we are trying to accomplish. First, no one has quoted a 100 million dollar figure for a theatre. In fact, the theatre that was just built in Raleigh Durham was less than half of what he talks about. (it was 48 million).

Second, as I have said in the past, we are working dilligently with each of the communities that have proposed sites to insure that we as a community at large have the cooperation needed to accomplish this worthwhile project.

Third, and as important, we, the RBTL board, are very reputable and hardworking members of the community. We have studied the issues carefully and know that we need the theatre to maintain the quality of entertainment and arts presentations our community expects and deserves. It does, however, get somewhat discouraging to have a critic (writing with a screen name) who cites "facts" that sometimes are inaccurate or misleading.

Hopefully, when we complete our work, our community will see that we have tried hard to do a good job for all of us!

arnie rothschild

Arnie Rothschild…..you and the RBTL’s prime interest is your specific arts organization dealing … mostly dealing with Broadway Shows . You are not looking out for the general public at large. Sure you can convince yourself that you need a brand new mega theater complex but I would like to express a more general opinion that has a more macro-impact…on the city of Rochester and the Region in general. To add another 600 seats you would like to extract up to $100 million from both the private and public sector. Every dollar you raise means a dollar that will not be spent on a full spectrum of other visual and performing arts groups in metro Rochester. Even beyond the arts community, you will extract dollars from scores of other philanthropic organizations that have a substantial economic impact equal or greater than your Arts project. Also, our region desperately needs additional dollars for a major upgrade of parks, public recreational facilities, better mass transit, downtown infrastructure, waterfront development, cleaner beaches, more aggressive development of other major assets that will return a substantial economic benefit greater than the incremental increase of a few hundred extra seats for a Broadway arts theater. You need to compete for these funds…and this is why a community consensus is critical!

When you request major “public” dollars, you are now required to look at the total economic impact of the region. If you stop all Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theater, you will permanently destroy the most important arts/culture anchor in the city of Rochester. It will affect property values, and permanently harm the restaurant/entertainment establishments that thrive because of the presence of the Auditorium Theater. You will also terminate tens of thousands of visits to the city that create a cosmopolitan environment that has a substantial tangible and intangible economic impact. All of these impacts have substantial dollar values that will be extracted from the city…and transferred to an already wealthy suburb. So when you narrow your “costs” to construct a new arts center…you don’t include these very important “community costs”. You narrowly benefit…but at a substantial negative costs to the city of Rochester. This is why I do not believe any responsible state legislature or NYS Governor or U.S. congressional representative will give any public funds for your ‘specific’ wants…vs. the desperate needs of a troubled city. It would make absolutely not economic sense! You want to transfer wealth from a poor city to a much wealthier suburban town. The macro economic benefit is neutral…but the costs to our region is nearly $100 million plus!

This is why I stated that before you proceed any further it is imperative that you get strong community support….from the private sector and from publicly elected officials. Conferring with individual suburban towns is not “community support” . Even before you establish broad base community support, you must prove that you desperately need an additional 600 seats at a Mega cost to our region. I have not seen any specific data other than a general list of “wants”. The current Auditorium Theater is successfully operating a full spectrum of quality Broadway Shows attracting hundreds of thousands of mostly satisfied art patrons. They enjoy the historic environment of the Auditorium Theater but also the unique experience of visiting scores of quality, locally owned nearby city restaurants vs. the alternative saturation of nationally owned/franchised restaurants that dominate the suburban market.

You mentioned the Durham Performing Arts Center…note the location…in downtown Durham, not in a distant suburb. Also, don’t even mention the $48 million price tag. There is absolutely no way you can build a quality arts center in New York for anything close to $48 million. The Durham facility is highly leveraged with major bond dollars committed. The total cost including bonding interest rates easily rise to over $67 million…assuming they can make all of the mortgage payments for the next 30 years! Constructing a Performing arts center in a cold northern climate is much more expensive than a southern environment. The six month winter season adds significant cost increases along with our much higher price labor market. A more comparable comparison is the planned performing arts center in Salt Lake City. $80 million for a 2,400 seat center. With escalation of costs and the need for an additional 600 seats, I could easily see a “total” price of nearly $100 million. There are several cities that low balled a cost estimate just to get construction started ….and then they had to constantly ask for substantial increases as construction went forward. Our community should know the “true total cost”!

Finally, I would like to state that I strongly support your and RBTL’s great work in getting top notch Broadway Shows to our community. It really creates a great cosmopolitan atmosphere which enriches many aspects of living in Rochester. But, I think proceeding forward on a MASSIVE $100 million request for a mere incremental increase in the number of seats overstates the economic needs for our region. You must be realistic about the current and future economic distress that our region and country are going through. These bad economic times are not just merely a typical cyclical downturn. There is a generational change on how we will spend a limited amount of available capital…be it private or public. It makes no sense to throw most of our local money in to just one project. It just doesn’t make any economic or financial sense!

Arne Rothschild…..I want to add an important point. RBTL and the Auditorium Theater has been a MAJOR economic anchor in the arts community and the city of Rochester. You have created a significant economic powerhouse for this region yet RBTL and the Auditorium has received very little support from the community. You are a valuable regional asset just like the many other assets that exists in our region that has been ignored, mismanaged or under finianced. I think your facility needs a substantial upgrade inside and out that would transform it into one of the best 2,400 seat theaters in the country.

Specifically the condition of the exterior of the Auditorium Theater, the quality of the parking experience, the lack of major road/sidewalk/landscaping improvements around the perimeter of your facility shows a deep community neglect. The city/county must create a much better experience for visitors to the Auditorium Theater Complex. This is how you nurture a valuable asset.

This is why I hope you would quickly pivot to a strategy of remaining at the Auditorium Theater and working with city/county/state/federal officials/private donors to ransfer the Auditorium Theater and the nearby area into a world class complex/district. Such a change in direction will be quicker and much more productive than pursuing a nearly impossible dream of a new suburban facility. It’s realistic, doable and will contribute immensely to the economic and social fabric of the city of Rochester. The quicker you make this decision, the quicker our region will benefit.

I served on a public task force of community leaders (city, county, and the arts) which studied the question of the performing arts center for 19 months. The recommendation of the task force was "a new broadway style roadhouse should be constructed in an expanded cultural district to be bounded by Main and Clinton" in other words, the Ren. Sq. site...or perhaps even Midtown (the site I proposed at the time).

We have tried for years to build in a City location. We still remain open to a City location...but we need the additional seating capacity, among other things to remain competitive! If we thought that renovating the Aud. theatre...a building we own, would work...we would do it! However, as the study of the renovation showed, the only way to do that is to build a second balcony and raise the roof 20 feet. If that was done, we fear people may not want to sit way up there!

Also, the readers should understand that we only own the theatre portion of the complex...the rest of the Aud is owned by a construction company. We do not own or maintain the parking lots, we do not have control of the parking operations, or, for that matter, even the handicap access area of the complex. Any major renovation of the site would require someone obtaining ownership of the rest of the complex and a much greater renovation than just the theatre!

In other words, Rochester99, we have studied all that you have proposed we try to do with objective community leaders at our side. We believe, and time will tell, that we can build a new building for the same or less cost than a renovation. We also believe this can be accomplished financially, and, while we have always proposed a downtown site...it can be done elsewhere! If we fail, we will still have the Aud...when we succeed, however, our community will be the benefactor.

Let me, however, offer a change for you as someone with interest in the concept of renovation, an opportunity for a private tour of the Auditorium Theatre and complex...and a chance to review the renovation study that LeChase Construction submitted to us (currently being reviewed by Pike Const.) so you have all the facts about the venue that we deal with!

arnie rothschild

Arnie Rothschild…which task force are you talking about? There have been many committees over the last 15 years discussing where a performing arts center should be built. There was talk of High Falls, Midtown Plaza, the F parcel across from Eastman Theater, then RenSquare. One committee was formed to determine what type theaters should be built. First it was three…a large, medium and a small theater. Then the Medium got axed, then the small one was eliminated. Then the promoters of the Arts at RenSquare had considerable/major problems getting private sector donations even after Moshe Safdie, a world class architect presented an exciting plan. Still no private sector interest even though Wall Street was booming and corporate/private wealth was its highest level in decades. Now that corporate/personal wealth has been reduced by 40% and we are approaching a more fugal generation of change and financial risk, you want to proceed towards a community project costing up to $100 million?

Our community has been literally chasing its tail for over the last 15 years talking, discussing, planning about a new arts center and still nothing has been achieved and with a complete lack of private sector support. This is not a basis for starting another venture in the suburbs. This merry go round has to stop. Its ridiculous and it further embarrasses our community. And the fault is not just with the RBTL…mostly it is the lack of community leadership/vision. There is no formal/professional process in how our community makes major decisions on major capital projects. Just look at the battered disarray of recent projects….High Falls, the demise/neglect of the old Midtown complex, the financial problems of Frontier Field, PAETEC Park, War Memorial Expansion, the Toronto Fast Ferry and RenSquare. Now we are talking about tearing off the top of the Broad Street Aqueduct and placing a sheet of water on top at a cost of $25 million????

One very important point that never has been established in regards to a new Performing Arts Center (PAC). There has never been an extensive unbiased, professional study indicating a “basic need” for a new mega sized performing arts center. A facility that will be replacing a very successful theater (Auditorium) that generates substantial economic benefit to the city of Rochester.

Explain how 400+ seats are essential to the RBTL success.

Indicate how we will become less competitive if we stay at 2,400 seats

Why do the vast majority of medium size cities have 2,400 seats rather than 3,000

Why is Salt Lake city building a 2,400 seat theater and not 3,000 seats?

Why is that no other community in America is building a mega 3,000 seat theater?

What new city will compete with Rochester for future Broadway business?

What are the attendance statistics for RBTL over the last couple years?

Why was 2,800 seats sufficient at RenSquare…but now its 3,000 seats?

What percentage of shows sold out at the Auditorium?

Do Theaters that have 3,000 seats consistently sell out these seats?

What is the trend in Broadway shows…the impact of a severe recession?
How come the majority of cities have restored their historic theaters, yet we can’t?

What will be the economic impact on Rochester if the theater goes suburban?

What is the ”incremental” economic impact of just creating a few hundred extra seats ….vs. the current economic impact of the existing Auditorium Theater?

What level priority is a new Broadway theater vs. other performing and visual arts institutions in Rochester?

What is more important…a few hundred extra seats or money spend on downtown development, waterfront development, cleaning our waterfront from decaying algae, education, public parks and recreation facilities, major improvements to Highland Park, a new outdoor downtown stage…etc.

These are other technical issues that must be investigated and analyzed by professionals to determine the need of a massive infusion of public/private money for only one project. I think our community deserves such a study before we move to any implementation stage of a new arts center.

There is no study, there is no active community task force and there is little or no money. Yet there is a plea for up to $100 million?

rochester99, I will try to answer most of your questions, some of them are not answerable with brief answers...but I will try. First, the task force (I am surprised you do not remember this) was one that was established by the County Exec. and Mayor (Doyle and Johnson) to discuss if we needed a Performing Arts Center. It was a joint City, County, Arts Group, and community leader group. Among those participating were the Deputy Mayor, Deputy County Exec., Dean of the Eastman School, Chair of the Philharmonic, RBTL chair, head of the Arts and Cultural Council, In house Council of Wegmans, head of the Chamber of Commerce, head of Rochester Downtown Development Corp., etc. I stated their recommendation in my previous response.
You continually ask the question about capacity of seats. It works like this, tours decide where they are going based on capacity of a market. Rochester is a great market, with limited capacity...as a result, we have lost some shows to Buffalo, a weaker market with more capacity. If you were the show, and had 600 more seats for each performance for 8 performances, you would pick up 4,800 seats or the equivalent of 2 performances in the Aud in the same number of days. The cost of staging, hotel rooms, production, etc. is the same (8 days of costs regardless of location).
Today, because Albert Nocciolino, our Broadway Producer, is so respected on Broadway, a TONY winner, and a major investor in shows...we get a first shot at road tours. But, in 10 or 15 years, when he retires, we will lose that leverage...then capacity will rule!
You keep asking about Salt Lake, so lets talk about the difference between Rochester and there. In Rochester, when we do shows, we draw from all over because of our highway system. When we do "block busters" like Phantom, Miss Saigon, Lion King, etc. better than 1/3 of the tickets come from outside of our 5 county metro. Many come from Buffalo, Erie, Syracuse, etc...because the shows have not been there! Mind you, Buffalo has over 3000 seats and Syracuse 2922...we get the shows first because of Nocciolino! In Salt Lake, though a bigger community, the geography does not allow for regionalized ticket sales...the distance is too great! Salt Lake does not get shows directly from Broadway, Rochester does...Salt Lake does not have the same heritage of music and theatre we have...so the market is not the same in any way!
You mention percentages of sell out...which is an interesting question. We do remarkably well in that category despite having a theatre with some challenges. Percentages of sellout, however, can be deceptive...many early in the week shows are softer in sellout percentage than the weekend...and, without question, new venues sell more tickets because of corporate entertaining opportunities and ease of access to them. That said, for the most part, our percentages are very high...and it is a good thing, because we realize no parking revenue and limited concession revenue because of the fact that we do not own the lots and have limited lobby space. But, all in all, the market is a strong one that could support a new venue.
If you look back in time, I have not suggested 3000 seats, I originally suggested 3200 seats! The reason for it being scaled down to 2850 at Ren. Square, was a site size issue. Since we are back to square one...3,000 is the right number for our future. I have met with many promoters from around the country who also feel that a 3,000 seat venue would work well for may popular entertainment shows that current do not come here. Actually...you cannot blame artists for working in venues that are larger if they can sell the tickets. Somehow, in your analysis, you have failed to acknowledge that we do much more than Broadway at the Aud.
Last, but not least, I should like to speak about the economic impact question you had. When the task force met, the reason that we talked about Main and Clinton or Midtown, as opposed to accross from Kodak office on State Street (the site accross from the Eastman was never proposed since the Eastman School wanted to expand there) was "economic sprall space"...the Aud, because it is in a neighborhood is difficult for the development of restaurants and retail...and it has no access to hotels easily. It is in the City, but not central to it! I have long been a leading proponent of downtown development of the Performing Arts Center...but if no sites are proposed, what are we to do? My job as RBTL Chair requires that I look out for the long term success of RBTL...we, unlike many groups, do not receive operating subsidies...we are able to grow and expand our education programs every year by working hard to do so!
As I have indicated to you in the past...you are welcome to tour the Aud, review any information on the renovation, and I personally will sit and discuss our concerns and experiences...while I have tried to address your questions publically in this forum, it seems as though we are repeating the same information time and again. Thanks...arnie

"There has never been, in my lifetime, a moment when there was so much financial difficulty in every sector of the economy at once,"
The arts council has taken cost-cutting measures and has laid off three employees,
"I think that this is an incredibly difficult moment for the organizations we serve," she said. "Every possible way the revenue picture and funding picture for cultural organizations have been impacted."

The above statement by Sarah Lentini, president of the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester was in today’s D&C article about the dire situation within the arts community in Rochester. And Ms. Lentini was extremely grateful to get $22,500 from the Federal Stimulus Program. Yet the RBTL wants up to $100 million for a new suburban arts center!!! Even thou the current Auditorium Theater is efficiently operating at a maximum benefit to our community. All bills are being paid and nearby restaurants and entertainment establishments are being positively impacted by visiting art patrons.

Do we really want to deprive funds to other arts and community projects and give millions of public funds just to the RBTL and do we really want to take millions of economic benefit from the City and give it to a prosperous suburban town?

Arnie Rothschild....I just got your response...but haven't read it yet. I will have time to read latter today...and will respond. Thanks for your input.

Arnie Rothschild….You mentioned Albert Nocciolino, a Broadway Producer that you have a working relationship with. Realize that the number one reason why any Broadway producers select any city for Broadway shows is “the bottom line”. Millions are invested and produces are required to generate a return on these investments with the least amount of risk. Transportation costs/hotel costs/ logistical costs along with potential ticket sales are all evaluated. Because all of these revenue/expense ratios are favorable to Rochester…they will be equally beneficial for other Broadway Producers or the one that takes Albert Nocciolino’s positon 15 years in the future. I see little risk of losing future Theater business in Rochester.

When Broadway producers infer they would like a higher capacity for the Rochester Market…especially on weekend dates….they probably state the same for the Pantages theater in L.A, California which has only a 2,600 seat theater or the CanonTheater in Toronto which seats only 2,295. I think you could also state the fact about any sports and entertainment venue in America…..”love to have more capacity on Weekends”. Yet very few sports/entertainment/Broadway theater venues have the public/private capital dollars to further increase their venue capacities. With your rationale, Madison Square Garden which seats only 19,700 seats should be further expanded to 25,000 seats and just about every major sports arena complex would also expand. These venues consistently sell out on Weedend dates. But notice that they haven’t expanded!

A point of fact, the hardest seats to sell are always the last few hundred and when constructing an Arts center, the last seats are usually the most expensive to construct. To elevate and angle the seats for maximum view increases costs exponentially…compared to the upfront…at grade seats near the stage. Its too risky and not cost effective …especially for a medium size market like Rochester.

In a higher capacity theater, you could sell out more weekend dates but do less business during matinee shows and weeknight dates. You could be just shifting around your current patron base. So the “net” effective is zero increase. So you can’t state with 600 additional seats and a 8 day schedule will guarantee the sales of 4,800 extra tickets. You have already stated that it is difficult to sell out during weekday shows. Having a bigger venue doesn’t have any impact on your weekday shows. Actually, it may diminish your weekday/matinee shows.

And you state “capacity rules”. Well it doesn’t. Just because a city has a higher capacity, it doesn’t translate into seats sold. Demographics, depth of arts/cultural community, heritage of supporting high end performing arts shows, logistics, hotel room rates for performers/staff (Rochester has very low rates)…etc. are the major elements in determining show locations/venues. In today’s marketplace, a Broadway producers will not be taking major risks in pursing virgin markets that may have a few hundred extra seats. If such markets exists in the Northeast!

Having a tight capacity during weekends is actually a major benefit to any entertainment venue. It encourages early sales and season subscription sales…a vital source of financial stability for any entertainment organization. Having seats always available actually cheapens the value of the seats…and encourage walk up sales which is sensitive to economic issues and bad weather…which dominate our region. It maybe actually financially disadvantageous to have a higher seating capacity in a medium size market like Rochester. This after spending tens of millions of dollars to obtain these additional seats.

To focus again on capacity and population, note these Broadway Theater venues:

Chicago…. Oriental Theater……….2,253 seats
L.A, California…..Pantages Theater….2,600 seats
San Francisco …..Curran Theater….1,900 seats
Toronto………Canon Theatre……..2295 seats
Rochester……Auditorium Theater….2,400 seats
Average size for Medium size cities like Rochester….2,405 seats

It’s just glaring statistics that re-enforces the optimum size for Rochester, a medium size city. It’s 2,400 seats. We have it in the Auditorium Theater and additional capital dollars can quickly handle most if not all of the problematic issues you listed….like parking, air conditioning…etc. Besides dealing with the enhancements in the exterior and exterior of the Auditorium Theater, there would be a major catalytic economic effect on adjacent properties and re-enforcing this district as the prime arts/cultural district in the region.

I think you would be shocked by what improvements can be made at the Auditorium Theater complex. There are so many more exciting/creative/innovative improvements that can be done in and around the Auditorium Theater It has the potential of being a world class venue/arts district with both public and private capital dollars that can be obtained very quickly. I just don’t see the political support, the financial resources of local/state/federal governments or the financial will of the private sector that has devastated by a prolong economic recession….to build a massive new performing arts center. It’s just impossible!

One final point is The issue of High Technology improvements and how Broadway shows could be presented in the medium/long term may have profound effects on large theaters across America. With high definitions home video screens coming down in price and with the introduction of 3-d effects merging with HD video, people maybe be able to enjoy an incredible “life-like” Broadway show experience at home or at special theaters. Such Theaters could show all forms of entertainment be it professional sports, performing arts or music concerts. You could hear and visualize an actor as if you were sitting 10 feet away. Enjoy this experience or pay big dollars to be seated at the far end of a massive 3,000 seat theater! We can’t expect the market will remain the same over the next 10-15 years. Technology will always change the way we live. Will spending up to $100 million for a 3,000 seat theater be worth the risks of technological obsolescence of such a theater?

I very much appreciate your opinions on this matter! I, however, am working with different information, including working with the promoter of Broadway shows here, and other promoters from around the country. We need to agree to disagree...you think we do not need a new theatre...I know we do!
Since I have a real job as well as my Chairmanship, and since I devote 20 or so hours a week to RBTL matters and have spent 15 years to the question of what to do with this theatre and the question of a new one...my conclusions, and those of the community leaders that studied the question, are the same. Hopefully, if you take the time to tour the Aud, you too will see things differently. My offer for that tour remains open to you. arnie

Arnie Rothschild….I know it is very difficult to extract yourself from a 15 year passion to build a new Performing Art Center. You are diligent and pugnacious in your desire but there comes a point of realization of new emerging facts and reality of the current/future economic crisis that cast a rather large cloud over any large public/private imitative…especially one costing up to $100 million.

Just realize that every month/year you pursue the mega sized theater…it delays a more pragmatic approach of enhancement of the Auditorium Theater Complex and the adjacent arts/cultural district. You are narrowly focused on RBTL, I like to take a more cosmopolitan approach…in what truly benefits all arts/culture institutions/venues in the Region and what is best for a struggling city looking to maintain if not enhance major regional assets. Extracting up to $100 million for one organization when there are so many other much needed projects/initiatives that are starving for money and attention. It just makes NO sense. It’s a function of Priorities with limited resources framed with the new emerging realities of massive deficits at a city/state/Federal level and a private sector that has seen 40% of their net worth evaporate over the last year!

And we really haven’t talked much about the devastating economic impact of moving a major asset (the RBTL Broadway show program) from the arts/cultural district…from a economically depressed city…to a much more affluent suburban town. This CAN NOT happen…and again, I would be extremely shocked that any local State/Federal legislator/Governor that would fund such a traumatic and costly move!

All the facts that I have viewed clearly justify the optimum size for the Rochester Market is a 2,400 seat theater. This is the average of all medium size cities in America. To further illustrate this let me briefly go over two cities that are larger than Rochester…yet they are completely satisfied with 2,400 or less seats for their Community regional Theater.

One in particular is Charlotte, a powerhouse economic metro region that has tapped thousands of Rochestarians as new residents. As of 2008 their greater metro population is nearly 2.4 million. Yet they are satisfied with a couple theaters that generate most of the live Broadway shows that visit the region. The Belk Theater seats 2,100 people and the Ovens Theater that seats 2,460 …actually the smaller Belk Theater shows most of the Broadway shows in the greater Charlotte, NC market. There has been no discussion or concerns about losing market share because of inadequate Theater seating capacity.

And a follow up to the Salt Lake City discussion. Again, a greater metro population similar to Charlotte, and they have done extensive studies on their market and their ability to obtain first run Broadway shows. They decided on 2,400 seats….the same size of our Auditorium Theater. You had mentioned the inability of Salt Lake City to attract beyond their metro region…because of the remote highways and mountains. Actually, they don’t have to. They have enough concentrated population within their greater metro region…nearly 2.2 million people. Rochester has to stretch to get more people ….Salt Lake city has the numbers in a relatively short commute to center city. Again…their population is twice that of Rochester…yet they are satisfied with 2,400 seats!

I appreciate you openness to discuss the issue and I hope the marketplace "quickly" decides on what action plan is best for the city/region…for the arts/cultural community. We both agree that the arts/cultural community is a Major regional asset that offers substantial economic benefits to our region. We just disagree how to distribute limited “community funds” to a wide spectrum of community needs.

Unfortunately, we will be living in a protracted period of economic contraction and financial shortages. We just need to adjust/temper our wants…everyone!

thank you for your opinions! as I have offered, a tour of the Aud is available to you, along with a review of the problems and recommendations. I believe that if and when you look at the facts, you too will conclude that regardless of site, we need a new venue!
This year in NYS ( the one you say cannot build anything) two baseball teams are playing in 1.3 BILLION dollars of new stadiums(utilized around 80 days a year), built to the benefit of the owners, with tax credits, pilot plans, and public dollars...
We will, I believe, find a way to build a new home (and operate the Aud) to the benefit of the community.(we are a not for profit with no owners, but our education programs)..regardless of the location! Hopefully, at the end of our process, the community will agree we worked hard for the future of the Rochester area...arnie

arnie

Arnie Rothschild…..I am on an extended out-of-town trip. Not sure of a specific date when I will be back in Rochester. I do plan on accepting your offer to visit the Auditorium Theater. Will contact you when I am available.

Remember the decision to finance those new sports venues in NYC was made over 5 years ago…in the “sweet spot” of massive public/private sector affluence in NYC. Wall Street was booming and NYC was the prime beneficiary of such a huge largess. Those days are gone forever. Over the next decade or so, we as a society will pay for those financial abuses. But also remember that NYC is among the most prominent World Class cities in the World. They deserve to have such opulence reflecting their economic status. Rochester is totally in a different market. But we as a community should support many more “high profile” projects with support in Albany. But we must be judicious in what projects are promoted. Again, this is where we disagree!