Did you see this St. Cloud Times Editorial?? 

Times Writers Group: GREAT plan is, well, its name  By Kristian Twombly 

In not even two years, St. Cloud has transformed.  The Granite City Crossing is (finally) open, Minnesota Highway 23 is  smoothed out and improved greatly by the addition of decorative lampposts. Demolition of the old library has begun, and the 5th Avenue Live!  construction has started. These projects promise to have great impact, but for many, the most exciting transformation is to come. 

Two weeks ago the Great River Educational Arts Theatre announced an  ambitious vision to build a 447-seat facility as part of the 5th Avenue complex. There are no firm plans or financing, but the organization is  gauging community reaction to see if such a facility is possible.   The announcement was met with immediate enthusiasm by many in the arts community as well as downtown businesses. GREAT serves nearly 50,000 Central  Minnesotans a year and has an incredible 3,400 season ticket holders. Keeping those patrons visiting a different part of downtown, eating at the  restaurants and shopping is sure to continue to contribute greatly to the local economy.  GREAT will benefit the most, obviously. Its home in the Paramount Theatre  presents a number of logistical issues, chief among them space to house the group, sets and costumes. There also is an inability to have access to the  stage for the extended technical rehearsals that help productions run smoothly. 

Local artists also stand to benefit from the project. Any addition to the  cultural community benefits us all, and in particular, any addition to facilities is greatly welcome. 

There is a large and vibrant creative class in St. Cloud, but unfortunately,  except for those attached to bars, there are few opportunities for artists to work and share their art downtown. A medium-sized theater (and smaller  black box) are excellent additions. 

There will be little competition with existing facilities and theater productions, due to GREAT’s mission and dedication to the enrichment of  young Central Minnesotans through theater. Other theaters nearby tend to serve a different population, one that comes to see more mature or  experimental shows.   Perhaps most exciting about the proposal is its location. As part of the 5th Avenue Live! development - and anchored by St. Cloud State University on one  end and the potential Civic Center expansion on the other, Fifth Avenue stands to become a vibrant arts corridor, one that connects the Paramount to  the university. There is plenty of room for future expansion, and the potential influx of thousands of theatergoers will encourage retail and  restaurants to open in the area. However, as the Times Editorial Board pointed out Friday, (”GREAT’s theater plan raises good questions”) there are legitimate questions that come with such proposals. What will happen with the Paramount, a facility partially supported by the city and in which GREAT is a major tenant? Will this cost taxpayers money in  this time of financial constraints? 

It’s been made clear that GREAT was approached by the developer of the 5th Avenue Live project and will look for private funding for the project. While the project is one worthy of public support, the city already spends a lot on the Paramount, so private investment is likely the best way to go.   

The Paramount will certainly lose much of GREAT’s traffic, and without a  doubt it will be difficult to fill the void. However, the Paramount has had the difficult position of being expensive to maintain while serving as a  community arts center. This has caused the Paramount to have to pursue large productions that can help pay the bills, which has made it extremely  difficult for community groups with limited means to use the facility. 

This may be an excellent opportunity for the city to reassess the mission of the Paramount. Could it find a partner - private or even St. Cloud State -  to help it become a vibrant community performing arts center? Perhaps the Paramount should only pursue performances that bring in enough money to recoup the initial investment. It’s certainly possible that the increase in open dates from GREAT leaving could open the door to some different programming that the Paramount has had  to turn away because it was booked. 

At the very least, downtown can only benefit from this proposal, as the creation of an arts corridor will be the engine that drives the revitalization of our lovely downtown. 

This is the opinion of Kristian Twombly, who teaches music and new media at St. Cloud State University and occasionally disc jockeys at KVSC. His column is published the first Tuesday of the month.