VBT DDA to spend $1.137 million for ‘Black Box’ meeting space

The Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority agreed to spend up to $1.137 million for a “Black Box” meeting room to be constructed as part of the new community center being planned adjoining township hall.
At the April 27 zoom meeting, DDA Executive Director Susan Ireland presented what the township had requested. She said the survey taken said the public wanted a new community center with a running and walking track as part of the gymnasium, a fitness/workout/weight and exercise room, a large gymnasium with locker room space for men and women, and meetings rooms.
“While there was a desire by the public for a community pool, that option is not feasible in the foreseeable future due to the cost to build and maintain,” Ireland said in a memo to the DDA board. She said it would cost the same as the entire project and wasn’t going to work.
She said the other item mentioned by the public was the desire for a theater/auditorium with potential uses for concerts, plays, musicals, speeches, theater, puppet shows, magic shows, lecutres, recitals, state of the township addresses, award ceremonies, professional conference meetings, and more.
Ireland said the township is requesting that the DDA Board consider partnering, as it did with the splash-pad. The cost of the auditorium/theater was in the range of $1.1 to 1.2 million.
Matt Best, director of public services, said while the plans for the community center include the gym, offices, elevated indoor track, an outdoor plaza, and tons of storage space, it doesn’t have a place for community cultural events to take place.
Director Best said they first thought of a fixed-seat auditorium, but auditorium space is a thing of the past. He said what is needed is a multipurpose space, a “Black Box,” which has lighting, curtains, chairs for art shows and other things and could be high-tech.
He said he is not asking for the Cadillac of Black Boxes, but a space for cultural events, reworking the space between where the gym is with an atrium space leading into it.
It would be 2,500 square feet, not the fanciest, he said, and they could call it “The Cube.” It would have a construction cost of $875,000, with soft costs of $262,000, for a conceptual budget of $1,137,000.
Best said other organizations will clamber to use the space. He said the state actors guild is looking for other places to house their performances. The local arts council could take advantage of it and end-of-year celebrations and awards for the soccer leagues could use it.
He said the cultural and educational side rounds out the community center.
Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara said they put out the idea of the community center to the residents and they came up with ideas not thought of. He said the township could charge a nominal fee or no fee to use the area. He said bands are huge in this town.
Ireland said the money wouldn’t be expended until 2022.
Best said they are moving into the design phase and the construction and expenditure wouldn’t be incurred until 2022.
Best said the township has had an in-house dance studio for 16 years and they are looking for a place for recitals. Ireland said the Tai Kwon Do and Karate kids could have competitions.
Best said there would be seating for 100 to 400, depending on the design. He said most are under 200 seats. “I would prefer to have it at 200-250,” Best said.
“Who would have control of the design?” asked DDA member Victor Delibra. “Do we have control or do you want the money and that’s it?”
Best said they would be happy to have the DDA a part of the design, unless the DDA wanted to have something expensive. He said the community center is not just the VBT government, but the DDA, school district, everyone has the opportunity to get their two cents in.
Ireland said she would like to participate in the design of it and Best said, “It was always a part of the plan to have the DDA director and deputy director” involved.
Ireland explained how the funding would be handled and Supervisor McNamara said before he asked for the money he had Ireland go through their funds because he doesn’t want to destabilize the DDA.
She said after the $1.3 million expense for this the DDA would go down to a $3 million fund balance.
“I believe you can afford this, if you want to,” McNamara said.
“We’re good on the numbers,” said DDA member Laginess, adding he had other questions for Best. He said the high school, middle school, and other schools have stages and auditoriums. “What’s different about this one? Is it necessary for the community?”
Best said they are creating a central location, “that place that signals Van Buren Township is a premier community … that provides X, Y, and Z – and we don’t have Z.” He said residents could come in for one thing in The Cube and then come back for another event in The Cube.
“To create a sense of community,” replied Laginess, noting that was the reason for creating Harris Park, to promote the DDA region in the community.
When asked about the fee for use of this area, McNamara replied, “The dream is not to charge a fee. Yes, we would want to charge a nominal fee.”
Belleville Bass
In other business at the April 27 meeting, the DDA heard a presentation from Belleville Councilman Ken Voigt who was representing the Belleville Area Council for the Arts.
He explained BACA’s Belleville Lake Bass Project which has ten, four-foot-tall, fiberglas fish that are custom designed that will be placed around the community. He asked for permission to place five in VBT.
He said there is no cost involved and it is up to “you folks” to decide where to put them, should they decide to participate. He said the idea came out of the Lake Fest discussions. He said this is similar to other communities who have had pigs, cows, swans and other animals painted and displayed.
He said BACA is in the process of recruiting artists to paint the bass. If they don’t find enough local people, they probably will reach out to art students. He said once the bass are painted they will be sprayed with automotive clear coat with UV inhibitors to make them last and they could be repainted in the future. He said they are more or less permanent, but could be moved around.
When Delibera asked if there would just be artwork on the fish, Voigt said they are artwork, but whimsical, with no advertising or business names. He said there will be QR codes on the fish and geocashing.
DDA chairman Craig Atchinson said this is a township decision.
“Our attorney said we couldn’t buy one,” McNamara said. “If it went in your area when I’m tired of them, they can find a new place. Maybe in Belleville.”
“If you decide in the future you don’t want them, that’s fine,” Voigt said.
Deputy Executive Director Lisa Lothringer asked Voigt if he wanted a list of possible locations and Voigt said he would like suggestions. Lothinger said she had some places already in mind. Chairman Atchinson said they could put one in front of his business.