UPDATE: Before reading this, I wanted to let you all know that after posting it and having time to reflect and talk with interested and curious parties, I've changed my mind about a few things. The problems that I've diagnosed up until now are entirely accurate, but I'm altering some of the conclusions that I'm drawing. Rather than amend this post, I wanted to leave it as it was written so you could see how my thought process developed on the matter. I'll be posting some more and different thoughts in coming days. Thanks for reading and caring.

- Scott Baker 3/21/10

After taking a look at all of the various challenges and obstacles, I'm taken back to a comment my friend Seth made on the very first day of these posts, "Sounds like a lost cause." It does seem that way sometimes. The challenges are severe. But the situation is not impossible. And the thing about lost causes is that they're never really lost if the goal is worth it in the end. So I thought I'd wrap this all up with my vision for a future for the Hippodrome, the WPAC, and the Arts in Waco.

The first and key decision that needs to be made is that Waco needs a modern performing arts center. So many cities the size of Waco and smaller all over the country have such facilities, and it's Waco's time. This has to be a City-owned facility. Waco has been unique in Texas to the best of my knowledge in that the organization responsible for providing and managing the programming of the facility also owns and maintains its historic theatre. That's an untenable situation as I've already demonstrated. The monthly bills of running and maintaining the Hippodrome without much regard to how often it is used are approximately $9,000. And that's without paying the staff. Without the costs of operating and maintaining the Hippodrome, there's no doubt that the WPAC would still be in business today.

The WPAC has never really been able to fit on stage at the Hippodrome. Its proscenium opening is only 26 feet. The wing spaces are 8 feet and 12 feet. For reference, most standard touring Broadway shows require openings of at least 40 feet and wing spaces of at least 18 feet per side. There is not nearly enough dressing room space for visiting performers, and the space that is there is dank, dirty, and smelly. There is no provided administrative space for visiting performers. Nor is there adequate concessions or merchandise space in the theatre. Simply put, it doesn't suit the needs of a modern touring house. I think I've already gone over the Hippodrome's deficiencies enough by now.

But the WPAC isn't the only Arts organization in Waco in need of such a space. The Waco Symphony, a very fine organization, is also in need of a new home. They currently perform at Waco Hall, but scheduling is a perennial headache for them. And as I mentioned in passing yesterday, I'd like to think that one day Waco will have an opera company back and even a ballet too that would make occasional use of such a facility. Independent touring shows that currently use the Coliseum as their venue would be much more suited to a modern PAC. I'm thinking of things like Jeff Dunham, George Lopez, and David Copperfield. The Coliseum is a terrible venue for such performances, but because of seating size that's where they end up. All of these organizations would need a modern PAC.

And, yes, as soon as you start trying to figure out how this will be possible, it almost certainly means a bond issue. And that may be the most difficult part of this whole thing. Wacoans need to realize that they are going to live in exactly the city that they want. Such a facility will surely cost upwards of $25 million. Of course, over its lifetime it will also contribute quite a bit to the City of Waco in terms of rental costs and sales tax revenues reaped from surrounding businesses that see an increase from all the traffic. It may never fully pay for itself, but more about that in a bit.

There is also more than just a practical reason for making this something paid for with a bond issue. If it is paid for by a handful of large donations there will always be a sense of uncertainty around who is calling the shots there. Such a PAC should truly belong to everyone. Waco has enough distrust of its wealthy families and citizens, and this project should be free of such speculation. It should be there to benefit everyone in Waco.

Where should such a facility be built? I don't want to take much time pinpointing possibilities. Based on the City and the Chamber's stated goals, it should certainly be downtown; there are plenty of viable locations that could house such a facility and accompanying structured parking. It should be close to the highway, Baylor, and City Hall, and I don't think you should stray far from 4th, 5th, Franklin, Austin, University Parks, or MLK. East or West side of the river doesn't really matter; it will be a transformational structure no matter where it's placed.

Could an existing facility contribute to a modern PAC? Well... yes and no. Of course it could in a sense. There was an idea floated not too long ago to try to turn the Masonic Lodge on Waco Drive into a PAC to be shared by the WPAC and the WSO. I shot the idea down and I still stand by my reasoning. Here's why I think that would be a huge mistake: First of all, no building that is retrofit for a purpose will ever be as good or work as well as one that is built specifically for that purpose. In the Masonic Lodge I think you would still face some of the familiar challenges from the Hippodrome: wing space, lighting positions, load-in access, etc. In short, it is in no way suited to be built in to an acceptable theatrical venue. It could, I suppose, become a performance hall similar to Baylor's Jones Hall. But there's a reason that choirs and chamber ensembles are the only groups to use that hall. It cannot suit a symphony, an opera, a theatre, or a dance group. The Masonic Lodge doesn't have a proper proscenium or fly system. By the time you spent enough money to get it to approach acceptability, you would have to wonder why that money wasn't spent building the facility you needed in the first place rather than renovating an afterthought.

Then there's the problem of who would run that facility. The suggestion at the time was that it would remain owned by the Masons. But I don't believe they were consulted in that decision, as if they would want to own and maintain a facility for someone else's use a handful of days per year that would be dictated to them. And again, I don't think ownership should be left to any one of the Arts organizations. This needs to be a city-wide effort.

But of course, such a solution as retrofitting the Masonic Lodge would be a lot cheaper. And this is where I have to get a bit philosophic about the matter. A few years ago a bond issue was put to the ballot to expand and enhance the Central Library and provide better branch access. It narrowly passed without a lot of civic participation, but even still there wasn't much celebration. Everyone close to the library issue knew that it was a Pyrrhic victory at best. It was the "good enough" solution. It was by no means what the City really needed in terms of a library. But because it was adopted, it will now be decades before the issue of library expansion can be addressed again. "Good enough" is the enemy of "correct." This is an issue that Waco can't afford to get wrong. Given the current difficulties in momentum and finances, if a plan such as retrofitting an existing facility were adopted, the true needs of the City would not be met. And who knows how long it would be before Waco caught up with the rest of the country in terms of Arts.

So where does that leave the Hippodrome? Well, try this on: I believe the City should own the Hippodrome as well. It is a Registered Historic Landmark and one of the few viable pieces of living history left in downtown Waco. It should be maintained as an extension of the PAC and the Convention Center. And its uses would be many as I'll show in a moment. Of course it would have to be addressed in the same bond proposal that builds the new PAC, but addressing it at the same time and using the same architects, engineers, and builders would certainly be the cheapest way to see it done.

How then shall it be used? Remember all of the groups that I mentioned yesterday? Imagine it as a home for the Waco Children's Theatre, the Waco Jazz Ensemble, the Waco Summer Musicals, the Baylor Opera Theatre, the Baylor Jazz Ensemble, a Waco Civic Chorus, the Baylor Film Department, the Baylor Theatre Graduate Studies department, and a Waco Film Society. What if the Waco Civic Theatre moved its annual musical to the Hippodrome? (Many people don't know this, but the Waco Civic Theatre was intentionally designed to prevent the staging of musicals there. Its designer intended it to be used exclusively for modern American plays.) So the Civic Theatre could then have a proper proscenium stage and an orchestra pit. And it could be made easily accessible for any other local performing groups who wanted to give performing a try. Perhaps an annual Shakespeare Festival or a new vocal ensemble. The City could use it as overflow from the Convention Center for events that needed auditorium-style seating. The Library and KWBU could screen documentaries and films there.

By my count that's well over ten different organizations who are or would be in need of a venue. That is the kind of broad coalition and consensus that would be needed to enact such a vision. But they all have something in common: None of them is capable of paying to rent a facility like the Hippodrome for their performances. There would need to be an arrangement made between the City and the various performing groups that any such registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that met certain minimum requirements would be able to use the Hippodrome free of charge in exchange for a percentage of the box office revenue. Is that subsidizing the Arts? Yes it is. That's how you encourage something's growth. But it's not just throwing cash at a problem. It still requires the organizations to be responsible for quality work and a proper job of selling tickets. Such an arrangement is the only scenario under which all of those various groups will be able to thrive and pursue an aggressive performance schedule that will result in a robust calendar of events at the Hippodrome.

The other step alongside that one that could be taken is the renovation of the Annex building next door to the Hippodrome on Austin. It would be quite easy to remodel it to contain overflow concessions and restrooms in the very front of the downstairs and rehearsal space in the remainder of the downstairs. Upstairs could easily be remodeled as office space for the above mentioned non-profits who could rent it for an affordable price. This arrangement would not only provide the non-profits with their badly needed administrative space, but would bring in an income and return on the investment of the renovation.

Now it is certainly a distinct possibility that such an investment may never run a profit for the City. Not only is it not entirely likely to pay off the initial investment, but upkeep and maintenance of the two spaces is likely to be more expensive than their revenue will ever provide. That fact should never be hidden. But is that so different from other civic functions? Does the City-owned softball complex pay for itself? Or the water park? Or the golf course? Of course they don't. But they all make Waco a better place in which to live. And the tax money that supports them is a small price to pay to live in a city rather than a town. Otherwise, what's the difference between Waco and a larger version of Riesel? The advantage of living in a city is supposed to be in quality of life and opportunity. I do not believe that the City would be taking radical steps by moving in the direction that I've outlined above. I simply feel that they would be catching up to where they should have been long ago.

I am well aware that my plan will be highly unpopular with some people. There are those who feel that every penny paid in taxes is the same as having limbs or children taken from them. Bond issues are often unpopular and politicians are hesitant to support them for fear of losing their position. Those challenges simply mean that courage and preparation are needed. The Hippodrome was brought to its current position because too few people were willing to roll up their sleeves and offer assistance and ideas. No such situation can be allowed again. Think about the momentum that could be gained if all of the different performing groups that I mentioned above got together, organized together, and drafted a proposal of how they would work together to see this vision become a reality. They would certainly be able to overcome the small-minded but loud-mouthed few who would want to stand in the way of such cultural development. And, forgive my saying so, but Waco can't afford to allow the village idiots to chart the course for the village.

At any rate, that's my idea. A new PAC for all of Greater Waco to enjoy that would draw audience from miles around for presentations by the Waco Performing Arts Company and the Waco Symphony Orchestra. A renovated Hippodrome to be home to all of Waco's various performing groups and non-profits as well as a potential incubator for future cultural growth and development. The Arts groups would certainly be better off with this arrangement. Downtown would benefit from the increased traffic, activity, and density. And all of Waco would benefit by having such diverse Arts and entertainment opportunities from which to choose and enjoy. It won't be easy. It won't be cheap. But it will certainly be worthwhile.

I have now come to the close of my prepared remarks about the Hippodrome that I began over a week ago. I would love your input and thoughts. Please feel free to point out flaws and weaknesses in my ideas here. That's the only way that we'll come to stronger ideas in the end. I'll try to spawn off more posts here based on questions, comments, feedback, emails, gossip, and news reports that come up. I've created a new label of "Hippodrome" for these posts that can be found in the sidebar on the right.

I hope the best for Waco. It was the first place I truly called home after a fairly nomadic life up until that point. My parents still live there and I care a great deal about the city. I would be only too happy to see these proposals of mine come to pass. But they'll have to be taken up by the minds and hands that are there right now. God bless you all.