News-Journal Center a
performing arts showpiece; catalyst for rebirth of downtown Daytona
Beach
It
seems like only yesterday that community leaders came together with
News-Journal Publisher Tippen Davidson to begin a dream of creating
a new, state-of-the-art lively arts center in downtown Daytona
Beach. Actually it was 10 years ago. Today, after a decade of
conceptualizing, fund-raising, designing, engineering and
construction, the News-Journal Center is up and running.
Last
month, those same community leaders were bursting with pride as they
welcomed the community for a first look at what already is a vital
component of the rejuvenation of downtown Daytona Beach.
“It was
very gratifying to present the News-Journal Center to the
community,” said Glenn Ritchey, who has been instrumental in raising
funds for the complex as chair of the Lively Arts Center, Inc. “The
opening gala was pure magic. And the community open house the
following day was equally exciting as residents and visitors
experienced the complex for the first time and even saw cameo
performances of Beauty and the Beast.”
The
$29-million complex is a regional landmark and a signature building
for the downtown area, with its colorful landscaping, distinctive
architecture and dramatic three-story contoured window wall, which
is rated to withstand 125 mile per hour winds (the building itself
is engineered to survive a 10-foot storm surge).
Upon
entering the complex, visitors get a feel for its 98,000 square
feet. Included is the lobby area of more than 11,000 square feet and
three stories of interior altitude that provide breathtaking views.
There is a 900-square-foot gallery that will host a variety of
exhibits from the Museum of Arts & Sciences. Casual seating and a
Christopher Bean Coffee Bar promises to lure drop-in visitors who
may want to see an exhibit and enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee.
The
complex was meticulously designed for the performing arts. The main
theater offers 9,000 square feet and 859 seats, big enough for many
performers, but specifically not designed for mass market shows that
can fill eight or nine thousand seats such as those hosted by the
Ocean Center across the Halifax River. The main theater also boasts
a stage of 4,238 square feet with 24 trap doors and an orchestra pit
that features a technologically-advanced elevation system to
position the orchestra at various levels.
Performers who play to smaller audiences can be accommodated in the
News-Journal Center’s studio theater which has a seating capacity of
264. This allows for a much more intimate setting for performers and
patrons. Its 2,413 square foot thrust stage gives performers of
these smaller productions ample room, and is surrounded on three
sides by the seating.
In
addition to the main theater and studio theater, there are many
other impressive resources in the complex. Backstage, there are
rehearsal rooms, dance studios, and Seaside music theater offices.
There are multiple concession areas, dozens of restrooms, an
escalator and elevators at each end of the building, wrapped by
staircases.
The
complex has been designed to the exacting specifications of
performers with careful attention to the needs and enjoyment of the
patrons. Its theater sightlines are clear from all seats and the
acoustics are extraordinary.
Volusia County
Government contributed $2.4 million in ECHO program funds to help
fund construction.
