The following are some commonly asked questions regarding the Lexington Arts Center:

Q: How much will the Center cost to build?
A: As of October 2005, construction costs were estimated at $31.8M.

Q: How will the Center be paid for?
A: Funding is expected to be through a joint public/private effort with a majority of capital investment coming from the private sector.

Q: Why should any public money be used for the Center?
A: The Center promotes diversity in the quality-of-life offerings available to the public in our community. Public money already goes toward other quality-of-life offerings in the Lexington community such as the library, museum, parks, Senior centers, wellness centers, baseball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, schools, etc. The Arts Center proactively rounds out the above examples by adding arts culture. While each citizen may not use all of these facilities mentioned above directly, all the facilities collectively allow our community to present a well-rounded offering to our citizens, newcomers and potential businesses looking to locate to a diverse community.

Q: What if I am not a "big lover" of the arts or culture in general? What's in it for me?
A:
1) Even if you never enter the Center, you can expect a growth in the choices of retail establishments you may wish to frequent. Regional examples indicate that newly opened arts centers are a catalyst for new businesses. It's pretty simple really - if an entrepreneur hears of a facility that is anticipated of generating over 100,000 patron visits annually, he/she could easily conclude that opening a business (or expanding on their existing current business) in close proximity to the Center would be wise. Businesses that are possible include: coffee shops, bookstores, high-end restaurants, family-based restaurants, art/frame shop galleries, specialty clothiers (for men, women or children), furniture stores, bed and breakfasts, etc.

2) Secondly, as noted above, enhancing the level of arts in our community's quality-of-life offerings makes our region more diverse and therefore more competitive for recruitment in the areas of business, research and technology companies. In turn, this type of economic development can create new high-paying jobs that go right back into our community and add to our tax base. (When all things are equal in a company's "community shopping," a community that offers a diverse quality-of-life (including cultural offerings) can land the recruitment simply for having the best of the best).

3) Further, the Center has the strong capability of serving as a Renaissance for our community. Something seemingly as simple as an arts center building can be the catalyst for the creation of a "community center," a "signature," or a "heart" of Lexington . It can act as the glue that binds all of our good attributes together in one centralized location. It strengthens our opportunities to physically congregate together (across various social and demographic backgrounds) in one centralized area. We have a unique opportunity to shape the future of Lexington and how it is viewed as a community for decades. All the while, we give our children more reasons to stay or come back to live in Lexington .

Q: Why should the community pursue this project when we still have traffic concerns?
A: It is important for us to recognize that Lexington is a community growing quickly and has become increasingly attractive to new residents and visitors. In such a situation, we should all understand that numerous needs will happen concurrently - it's a natural by-product of our success. Accordingly, in order to remain competitive while protecting the quality-of-life we have come to love in Lexington , we need to "multi-task" and do several things at one time. Waiting for one area-of-concern to be perfected before addressing a new need is not the best strategy for such a growing community.

Even more importantly, the Town is currently already in the process of addressing traffic concerns within the Town limits and has worked hard to secure funding commitments to implement numerous changes. These updates and changes are concentrated attempts to address the traffic issues in the short-term. The long-term, "true" solution is considered to be the construction of a by-pass. It is important to clarify that the Town Council for Lexington does not currently have the authority to implement a by-pass project. The primary limiting factor in this situation is that by-pass options which have been considered would be located outside of Town limits and therefore not under the jurisdiction of the Town.

Q: How will traffic be affected directly due to performances at the Center?
A: Most performances should take place away from the rush-hour timeframes of 7-9 am and 4-6 pm. Evening performance start times can be expected to occur between 7-8 pm. In addition, since the Center will not have a massive seat-count (translating into more cars), one can expect the traffic flow to be similar to that of a local, large church before/after services.

Q: Where will the Center be located?
A: Final determination of the Center's site location is pending. Site options were narrowed down to approximately 15 locations and were subsequently scored based on specific criteria. Examples of some of the criteria used: visibility, access, development links, setting, neighborhood acceptance, availability and cost.

Q: Why was the auditorium chosen to have a seat-count of 1,200?
A: For our region, 1,200 seats is considered a "mid-sized hall." This fills a specific professional facility need for the Midlands region. The mid-sized hall strengthens the Midlands ' ability to offer a competitive cultural product to visitors since it would complement the existing Newberry Opera House (426 seats) and Koger Center (2256 seats).

Q: What types of events might I expect at the Center?
A: There will be a wide variety of events catered to the specific desires of the community and patrons. Examples of possibilities include:
- Choral performances - community-based (e.g. local groups, school-related, etc.)
- Choral performances - nationally or internationally-known performers (e.g. Universities, boys choirs, cathedral, etc.)
- Church productions / dramas
- Cultural immersion (e.g. Hawaiian dancers, kettle-drummers, etc.)>
- Dance performances - community-based (e.g. local troupes, school-related, clogging, etc.)
- Dance performances - nationally or internationally-known (e.g. ballroom, river dance, etc.)
- Gospel choir performances
- Live concerts - 50's bands or solo artists
- Live concerts - 60's bands or solo artists
- Live concerts - 70's bands or solo artists
- Live concerts - 80's bands or solo artists
- Live concerts - beach music
- Live concerts - big band
- Live concerts - blue grass bands
- Live concerts - blues bands / soloists / instrumentalists
- Live concerts - Christian artists
- Live concerts - country music bands or solo artists
- Live concerts - doo-wop / barbershop / a cappella vocal ensembles
- Live concerts - folk music
- Live concerts - instrumental soloists (e.g. piano, saxophone, violin, harp, etc.)
- Live concerts - jazz artists
- Live concerts - vocal solo artists
- Orchestral / symphony performances - community-based (e.g. local symphonies, school performances, etc.)
- Orchestral / symphony performances - nationally or internationally-known (i.e. Philharmonics, University, Pops, etc.)
- Theater productions or musicals - community-based (e.g. local theater, school-related, etc.)
- Theater productions or musicals - nationally or internationally-known (i.e. Broadway)
- Visual art exhibits - community-based (e.g. locally known painters, sculptors, etc.)
- Visual art exhibits - nationally or internationally-known (i.e. traveling tours or shows)

And More Than You May Have Thought Of.
- Beauty pageants / scholarship programs
- Children's entertainment / shows (e.g. animal show & tells, magicians, sing-a-longs, etc.)
- Comedians / comedy performances
- Corporate meetings (1,200 seat auditorium)
- Corporate meetings (smaller breakout spaces)
- Historical re-enactments or story-telling (e.g. Colonial period, African-American, American Indian, etc.)
- Professional speakers (e.g. motivational / inspirational for teens, corporate professional development for company meetings, etc.)
- Professional speakers (nationally/internationally-recognized: e.g. Nobel Peace prize winner, Pulitzer Prize winner, etc.)
- Public forums (e.g. community-based, political debates, legislative updates, etc.)
- Recreational / exercise seminars
- Recreational activities (i.e. walking trails)
- Social gatherings (e.g. wedding receptions, political party meetings, annual galas, etc.)
- Specialty exhibits / conferences (e.g. quilts, jewelry, wood-working, etc.)