Lots of reaction to the City of Greensboro’s memorandum of understanding on the proposed downtown performing arts center. The City Council will more than likely sign off on the memorandum —possibly with a few minor revisions—-at tomorrow’s night’s meeting.
This is the item that drew the red flags:
If the City no longer desires to own, changes the purpose of, or no longer provides
operational management services to the Tanger Center, the building ownership will be transferred to the Nonprofit, subject to approval by the Board. If the Nonprofit is not still in existence, then ownership of the building will be transferred to the CFGG, subject to approval by the CFGG board of directors.
I’m not arguing with the warning that the city will do all the heavy lifting for 10 years only to give away the performing arts center to the Community Foundation or the nonprofit that “will have overall responsibility for overseeing the success of the Tanger Center,” which is what the performing arts center has been named. In fact, that could be one of the changes that council member Tony Wilkins will hopefully push.
I just hope the Tanger Center is worth giving away in 10-plus years. That’s the thing about entertainment venues and stadiums –they have short shelf lives. I foresee a scenario where the city begs the Community Foundation take the performing arts center off its hands. But if that’s the case, then more than likely the nonprofit more than likely would not be in existence —a scenario the memorandum of understanding concedes. It’s also possible the Community Foundation would no longer be in existence, either.
