St. Augustine nonprofit wants $100 million performing arts center on city-owned land
A nonprofit will propose to the City Commission on Monday to build a performing arts center on city land on State Road 312 near Mizell Road.
The center is expected to cost more than $100 million, said Albert Syeles, president of the St. Augustine EpiCentre Alliance, the nonprofit spearheading the effort.
The EpiCentre Alliance is a group of arts and culture leaders who organized for the purpose of building a performing arts center in St. Johns County.
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Syeles said the nonprofit has found backing for the project from investors and donors, and most of the money is lined up.
"And it looks like this thing is ready to pop," Syeles said. "I mean, we've got everything in place except a deal on a particular piece of land."
As St. Johns County continues to grow, there is more demand for performing arts space and less availability of existing land, he said.
The group is exploring multiple options in addition to the S.R. 312 site, which is 33 acres on the northwest side of the S.R. 312 and Mizell Road intersection. The nonprofit is proposing to lease the property.
The center would include, among other things, auditorium and theater space; a café; gallery and museum space; a rooftop indoor-outdoor restaurant and jazz club; and conferences and office space, according to a presentation from the EpiCenter Alliance.
Current plans call for a parking garage and shuttle service to downtown and other places, Syeles said. The venue will be primarily for the community, with priority for use of the space given to project founders and St. Johns County people and organizations.
A public-private partnership with the city, if formed, could also include investment into workforce housing, Syeles said.
A report for the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council completed by Johnson Consulting said that the county needed a new performing arts center. The report was presented to the council in 2019.
"Expanding arts, cultural and entertainment facilities will allow the existing needs to be met, grow the selection of events held in the county, extend visitor stays, and allow the county to attract more residents and visitors, and to capture visitors that may otherwise travel to other places in search of these activities," according to the report.
In 2019, Charles Johnson, president of Johnson Consulting, said that a 500-seat venue could probably break even or come pretty close.
He pointed to several reasons for confidence in the financial viability of such a project, including: the overwhelming success of The Amp (74,000 tickets sold with $3.3 million in ticket revenue in the first half of 2019) and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall; overall tourist appeal of the destination; location; and the demographics of this growing and affluent population.
The anticipated annual direct spending from such a project was estimated to be $30 million with a total economic impact of $54 million per year.
The EpiCenter Alliance is proposing to build something "four times as big," Syeles said.
"This will be an international attraction the way this is designed," he said.
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at St. Augustine City Hall, and people can also watch live at citystaugtv.com.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Performing arts center proposed for City of St. Augustine land
