LOCATION
Burnsville, Minnesota
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Performing arts center feasibility
Contributions of a performing arts center to mixed-use downtown re-development
Public financing options analysis
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Johnson Consulting was engaged by the City of Burnsville to perform a feasibility study for a performing arts center to be located within the Heart of the City (HOC) Development. The HOC development is a mixed-use, 54-acre site, designed to be a pedestrian-friendly downtown center, to bring arts and cultural opportunities to the area, and to increase the tax base through economic development.
The City commissioned a similar review for a Performing Arts Center several years prior to our engagements, which found the project to be feasible. This was interpreted as being a project that was financially supportable by the private sector. A subsequent developer Request for Proposals (RFP) failed to attract a developer to build the facility and bear the cost. The community learned that public and philanthropic support was required. Specifically, the City needed to view the project as a catalyst for the overall development, justifying its investment based upon quality of life and other real estate return on investment metrics. In addition to the feasibility work, our role was to help determine those various values.
The Performing Arts Center was built on a 6.24 acre site that also includes a hotel, retail and restaurant uses, and parking. This project was awarded the top Small City project at the 2012 Mayor’s Conference.
