the woodlands cultural arts center · 2016-08-18 · 711 louisiana street suite 300 houston tx...

The Woodlands Cultural Arts CenterProposal for Feasibility Study for a Cultural Arts CenterApril 28, 2016

Christie’s Inc., New York, NY

2 Gensler | The Woodlands Culturals Arts Center

711 Louisiana StreetSuite 300Houston TX 77002USA

Tel 713. 844. 0000Fax 713. 844. 0001

April 28, 2016

Nick WoldaDirector of Community RelationsThe Woodlands Township2801 Technology Forest BoulevardThe Woodlands, TX 77381

Subject: Feasibility Study for a Cultural Arts Center

Dear Nick,

The following is the Gensler team’s proposal to perform a Feasibility Study for a Cultural Arts Center in The Woodlands. We have responded to each question in your RFP in great detail. While our proposal is comprehensive, we believe there are four features that truly define our team as the best choice to perform this Feasibility Study.

This is an All-Star Team. Gathering the best minds always makes the best team. Gensler, along with our partners Webb Management Services (Webb Management) and Sterling Associates, will provide an ideal combination of leading expertise in needs assessment, program definition, management and financial analysis of cultural arts facilities, and an unmatched understanding of the local context. Webb Management, the industry’s leading authority on cultural and performing arts management, will lead the needs assessment and business analysis. Sterling Associates will draw upon their deep knowledge and expertise of the local development and funding environment to identify contributed income opportunities.

Our approach will be both holistic and integrated. The team has developed a unique methodology for the study to be integrated between our talented experts as well as key members of the community. We believe that for a project like yours to be feasible, it requires community buy-in and direct input by key stakeholders. Gensler will work with the Township to facilitate visioning, building upon the studies conducted by Webb Management, to help define key goals and directions for the physical and business planning. Our high-level program, cost analysis, and site evaluations can provide effective facility recommendations.

We place a clear project definition as a top priority. As this Feasibility Study moves into the final phase, we will develop and test the various parts of the project. We will define what it takes to become a reality. While Webb Management develops business and economic models, Gensler will evaluate building program requirements and analyze potential site options. We believe a clear definition is essential for a successful feasibility study and project.

We consider ourselves your hometown architect. While we draw upon the top talent from Gensler and our partners, we also take pride in calling ourselves your hometown architect. Since 1999, we have designed and/or documented over 40 projects in The Woodlands. Gensler has recently opened an office in The Woodlands to serve our current and future clients. This office would serve as a base of operations to conduct our study. It is important too that many of our employees are active patrons and participants in the cultural and performing arts community both in The Woodlands and the greater Houston area. One such person, Jonathan Shelledy, grew up in The Woodlands and graduated from University of Houston in Architecture with a focus on theater design. As the manager of our team, he is driven by his passion for the arts, his love of The Woodlands, and his experience.

Again, we thank you for this opportunity and trust you will find these unique qualifications distinguish us as the best fit to serve The Woodlands Township on this important Feasibility Study.

Sincerely,

James E. Furr, FAIAManaging Principal Emeritus


Houston Ballet Center for Dance, Houston, TX

Gensler | The Woodlands Culturals Arts Center 5

p. 07Company ProfileOrganizational ChartArts & CultureRelevant Projects

p. 13Approach & Scope of Services

p. 17Schedule, Fee & References

p. 19Proof of Insurance

p. 20Similar Study

Table of Contents


Company Profile

Gather a group of people who are smart and let them do great work. They must be talented, creative, and have passion to make a project truly great.

GenslerOver a full spectrum of work, from rooms to cities and from black-box to opera house, Gensler supports the realization of projects with a straight-forward commitment to design value. Our comprehensive services allow clients to work with a dedicated team from planning to occupancy. Beginning with a thorough understanding of our clients’ goals, we focus on the most appropriate strategies and potential innovations to meet them.

Webb Management ServicesWebb Management Services, is a leading provider of project development, planning and consulting services for arts and creative entities with more than 250 completed assignments. The firm’s clients include municipalities, colleges and universities, nonprofit arts organizations, community and private foundations, commercial developers, economic development agencies, and other entities.

Sterling AssociatesSterling Associates believe they have the responsibility to remain current about nonprofit trends so that we can bring the latest knowledge and best practices to their clients. With every client, the firm conducts an in-depth assessment, carefully evaluating the organization’s readiness for a capital campaign. They will be your be your advocate and present you with clear recommendations for your company’s path.

Jonathan Shelledy, AIA, LEED AP BD+CProject Manager - Gensler

• HISD, High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

• Stages Theatre

Carrie BlakeCultural & Performing Arts Planning Specialist - Webb

Management

• The Woodlands Cultural Arts Center Feasibility Study

• Jones Hall Foundation Needs Assessment

Raffael Scasserra, Assoc. AIA, LEED APPlanning & Design Analyst - Gensler

• Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center

• Union Pacific Headquarters

Kimberly SterlingFinancial Developement Planning & Execution - Sterling

Associates

• MATCH, Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston

• The Foundation for Jones Hall Capital Campaign

Jim OswaldCommunity Core Team Facilitator - Gensler

• HISD, High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

• Stages Theatre


Client Advocate

Jim Fur, FAIA

Gensler

Project Manager

Jonathan Shelledy, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Gensler

The Woodlands

Township

Final Report &

Recommendations

Community Core

Team Facilitator

Jim Oswald

Gensler

• Community Engagement• Facilitator

Cultural &

Performing Arts

Planning Specialist

Carrie Blake

Webb Management

• Needs Assessment• Financial Analysis

Program & Site

Analyst

Raffael Scasserra,

Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Gensler

• Facility Program• Site Analysis

Financial Development

Planning & Execution

Kimberly Sterling

Sterling Associates

• Capital Campaign Research• Development Planning

Organizational Chart


Arts & Culture

A great theatre welcomes its audience and excites them before the curtain is even drawn. It serves as a reception hall, a branded and individualized affirmation of the company’s identity, a sales floor, and a beloved community space for subscribers and staff.

Design for Performing ArtsWe are passionate about music and performing arts facilities and have spent years perfecting our abilities to design them. From the design of a music school to an intimate performing space to a large-scale performing arts center, our varied experience has made us sensitive to factors of importance—excellent sightlines, acoustics, technical flexibility on stage, and multiple options for lighting and sound systems.

Gensler is one of the world’s leading entertainment architecture and design firms. We are involved in the full spectrum of projects including:

• Performing arts theaters/centers and cultural attractions

• Entertainment-anchored mixed-use development

• Film/television/radio broadcasting and production facilities

• Entertainment company studios • Entertainment centers and entertainment-

themed retail • Movie theaters and screening rooms • Theme parks and themed attractions

Audiences want excitement, enjoyment, a sense of community, and authenticity. We bring knowledge and creativity to the process of delivering those—and we have a long history of collaborating happily with people who are, by definition, a creative force.

On the following page, we share a glimpse into our Arts + Culture practice area as it relates to performing arts venues.


HISD, High School for the Performing and Visual ArtsHouston, TXGensler

The new High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) will be a five-story building including four theaters, dance studios, art galleries, indoor and outdoor art studios, classrooms, wet labs, offices, indoor and outdoor dining, skylit rehearsal rooms, and a recording studio, supported by two levels of underground parking.

Houston BalletHouston, TXGensler

The largest professional dance facility in the United States, this six-story building is home to both the Houston Ballet and its training Academy and houses nine studios, a performance laboratory, and a student dormitory. This state-of-the-art facility is utilized by over 30,000 students through their education and outreach programs.

Houston Museum of Natural SciencesHouston, TXGensler

For the Museum’s most significant and comprehensive expansion to-date, Gensler began by expanding the seven-story parking garage and providing much needed additional parking. The second phase delivers 200,000 additional square feet of exhibition, education, office, and event space on five levels. The major feature of the five-level addition is the two-story Paleontology Hall.

Stafford Centre Performing Arts Theater & Convention CenterStafford, TXGensler

A major element in the ground-up design of the Stafford Centre, the Performing Arts Theatre seats 1,100 patrons in a simple but characterful hall. The multi-purpose configuration effectively accommodates drama, dance, musical theater, and symphony performances with minimal adjustments.

Relevant Projects

Needs Assessment for Cultural FacilitiesThe Woodlands, TXWebb Management Services

Webb Management was hired by The Woodlands Town Center Improvement District to examine a potential need for new cultural facilities in the Town Center. They worked with the Township Cultural Arts Task Force to develop options for new facilities, test and advance the options, and select one that has the most potential to support the Town Center as a regional destination.

Needs Assessment & Operational Planning for Cultural Arts FacilityHoward County, MDWebb Management Services

Webb Management was asked to establish if there was a need and opportunity to develop new arts facilities in Downtown Columbia. After extensive research of the market, potential uses and users, existing facilities, and community impact, it was determined that there was a case to develop new facilities.

Performing Arts Facilities PlanningLubbock, TXWebb Management Services

The project, initiated by the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce and community leaders, aimed to understand the viability of a new venue in terms of audiences, competition, user demand, touring product potential, and broader community goals. Webb Management developed a business plan for the recommended theater and assisted in recruiting and selection of an operator for the building.

Needs Assessment for Improved Large-Scale FacilitiesHouston, TXWebb Management Services

Working with the Foundation for Jones Hall, Webb Management assessed the market conditions for performing arts facilities in order to consider what, if any, facilities might be improved or developed in Houston’s downtown theater district. The results suggested that there was need and capacity in the Houston market to support new or improved performance facilities.


MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston)Houston, TXSterling AssociatesSince opening in October, the MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston) has already established itself as an exciting destination for arts and culture in Houston. Sterling Associates was involved with MATCH since its inception and helped raise the $25 million to design and build the facility and begin operations.

Houston Food BankHouston, TXSterling AssociatesTo address the urgent need to drastically increase its distribution and expand its impact, the Houston Food Bank purchased and renovated a SYSCO warehouse on I-10. This $65 million project was completed in 2011, creating the largest food bank in the United States. Sterling Associates conducted a feasibility study for this project and managed the successful capital campaign.

Montgomery County Women’s CenterSpring, TXSterling AssociatesThe Montgomery County Women’s Center provides safe emergency refuge for abused women and children. In 2008, plans were developed for Reaching Pines, a 24-unit transitional housing complex and Child Care Center to support the center. Sterling Associates developed a campaign plan to fund its construction and managed the campaign to reach the $6 million goal.

Camp For AllBurton, TXSterling AssociatesCamp For All is a unique camp that works with other nonprofits to enrich the lives of children and adults with illnesses or special needs. Sterling Associates helped with the camp’s plan and manageed its capital campaign, which raised $8 million to fund construction of Star Place, a multi-purpose gathering space with an indoor climbing wall, a theater, radio/TV station, and more.



Approach & Scope of Services

Your RFP is very comprehensive and over the last few weeks we have devoted ourselves to absorbing the full content. As a result of our understanding of the project and preliminary requirements for the study, we have developed the following Project Approach.

ApproachOur proposed approach is both integrative and holistic. The final deliverable has the arts management/business plan integrated into the physical planning philosophy. During this process, we propose to collaborate with The Woodlands Township to assemble and organize a Cultural Arts Facility Working Group, known as the Core Team. Members of the Core Team will come from community leaders, leaders in the arts, and key influential individuals in the region, specifically in such areas as business and politics within in The Woodlands, Montgomery County, and the northern areas of Harris County.

Our approach also focuses on strategic decision-making with the Core Team at four discrete work sessions. The Core Team meetings are intended to last approximately three hours and will be intensive and productive sessions. These sessions will ensure that you, our client, will know exactly what and how we are spending resources and what you will receive as final deliverables.

First, we will begin with the Phase One: Needs Assessment to conduct interviews and gather information, as described in the following Scope of Services.

Scope of ServicesPhase One: Needs AssessmentReview Existing Materials:

• Review previous studies on the arts and cultural development in and around The Woodlands, including the work we completed for the Town Center Improvement District in 2006.

• Review recent community-based master planning and Town Center planning efforts, existing strategic plans, market studies, and/or other relevant studies that reflect the issues and characteristics of the arts community, and how local and regional populations might be changing.

Engage Potential Facility Users:• Survey representatives of arts and cultural

organizations in and around The Woodlands to assess their history, sustainability, and demand for new and/or improved facilities for performance, rehearsal, arts education, production, storage, and administration.

• Gather input from independent artists, media organizations, film presenters, regional presenters, facility operators, businesses, arts educators, and community leaders to assess demand for arts facilities and potential levels of use from broader sectors of the community.


Identify Potential Partners: • Identify partners to support the development

of new arts facilities. • Consider how location, scheduling, and access

might be addressed in order to accommodate partnerships.

Define Benefits, Impacts, & Goals:• Meet with community and business leadership

to review The Woodlands planning goals and priorities.

• Determine how new facilities can play a role in the broader community, including downtown development, economic impact, educational opportunities, and cultural tourism.

Core Team (Work Session One)Based on the initial Phase One services, we will convene the first meeting of the Core Team and conduct Work Session One. This will include reviewing the information gathered during the Needs Assessment and Visioning Session that will help serve as a baseline for establishing the Physical Planning process.

Recommendations & Facility Concepts: • Develop conclusions and recommendations

that consider the overall feasibility of new arts facilities.

• Provide specific recommendations around the types of programming that should be accommodated, physical components, including the optimal size, shape, functionality, and flexibility of these spaces, and a description of the support spaces necessary to maximize the function and activity of the facility.

Review Models & Precedents: • Research comparable facilties in communities

similar to The Woodlands.• Gather information about size, components,

location, programming, capital cost, and keys to success to inform and validate decisions.

Assess the Arts Market:Collect information and conduct analysis to answer key questions in regard to arts participation and the arts market in The Woodlands and surrounding regions, including the following tasks:

Market Definition:• Obtain customer address lists from a cross-

section of location and regional arts groups and conduct a mapping analysis to establish a geographical market area.

• Analyze the demographic indicators of arts/entertainment consumption.

• Discuss the market in terms of its size and quality, including population growth trends, education level, age, race, socio-economic status, geo-demographic, and other key demographic indicators.

• Consider the characteristics of the non-resident segments of the market, including tourists, business travelers, and other transient populations.

Forces & Trends• Identify broader trends in arts audiences and

consumer behavior; programming and funding; changing views on the role of live performance; technology in the arts; and the desire for more hands-on and active participation in the arts.

Evaluate Existing Facilities & Conduct Analysis: Collect and analyze information on the size, features, programming, quality, and location of existing arts facilities in The Woodlands to answer several key questions:

• How are facilities supporting public, commercial, non-profit, creative, and educational organizations and programs in the performing and visual arts?

• How are facilities supporting audience participation and community involvement?

• Are gaps in the inventory limiting opportunities for programming and participation?

• What impacts might new facilities have on existing and planned arts, entertainment, meeting venues, and event facilities?


Phase Two, Part II: Business PlanningDefine Goals & Practices:

• Define the vision and goals for recommended new facilities, including community access, cost-recovery objectives, and maximizing utility and community benefits.

Examine Comparable Projects: • Conduct additional research on comparable

facilities throughout North America to inform the business plan.

• Include key areas of research for governance, operating and funding costs/models, capital cost models, the scheduling of facilities, relationships with schools and local arts organizations, levels of utility and cost, partnerships used to develop and sustain facilities, and factors that lead to successful operation.

Define Ownership, Governance, & Operations: • Identify, evaluate options and propose an

operating model for recommended facilities, addressing ownership, governance, and operating issues, such as community access, scheduling, and public events.

• Consider both public and private, non-profit and commercial options.

• Describe requirements to move the project from concept to completion.

Conduct a Scheduling Charrette: Invite key potential users to participate in a scheduling charrette at which policies and practices are tested and refined, and activity estimates confirmed.

Define Activity Profile: • Recommend how the facilities should be

activated with a combination of produced theatre, presented events, teaching, performing arts and event rentals, and alternative uses.

• Estimate the number of potential uses within each programmable space and how that activity might grow over time.

Phase TwoIf the information gathered during Phase One and the two subsequent Core Team Workshops yields positive conclusions and result in recommendations and viability of new arts facilities for The Woodlands, we would propose to undertake physical and business planning to further develop the idea with approval from the Township.

Phase Two, Part I: Physical PlanningSpace Program:

• Prepare a functional space program outlining the types, sizes, seat count, and general configuration for new facilities.

• Discuss expectations regarding the quality of spaces, including the theatrical and acoustical components, as this will effect the anticipated construction costs.

Site Evaluation: • Identify and evaluate site options for the

project in terms of criteria developed with the client, including (but not limited to) size, cost, local and regional access, parking potential, and proximity to amenities.

• Consider sites both within and adjacent to The Township.

Cost Estimate & Timeline: Prepare an order-of-magnitude estimate for the development of recommended facilities based on the space program and current regional cost information.

Core Team (Work Session Two)During the second meeting of the Core Team (Work Session Two), we will deliver a draft report and present the findings and recommendations of this portion of work. We will incorporate feedback and deliver a final report.


Create a Staffing Plan Model: • Identify full time, part time, and volunteer

staffing requirements for the new center. • Set compensation ranges for those positions,

and recommend hiring dates relative to the development and opening of the center.

Define a Facility Management Plan: Propose how facilities should be operated in scheduling, balance of presented performances and outside arts rentals, meeting and event rentals, booking horizons, front of house operations, production management, capital planning, financial systems, concessions, and other services.

Propose a Marketing Strategy: Based on the final activity profile and programming and positioning plan, develop a high-level marketing strategy for recommended facilities, addressing institutional branding, subscription and single ticket sales, marketing, and related budget assumptions.

Develop Pro-Forma Operating Budget: • Construct a pro-forma operating budget for at

least five years of operations, starting with the year before new facilities opens and extending through the fourth year of operation.

• Identify all sources of operating revenues and expenses, an appropriate capital reserve, and the likely result of operations.

• Identify existing and new earned revenue streams.

• Develop estimates that consider staffing costs, the implications of producing and presenting programs and events, marketing and supplies, and capital maintenance and utilities.

Core Team (Work Session Three)During the third meeting of the Core Team (Work Session Three), and based on the information defined in Phase Two Business Planning, we will begin producing the Project Vision/Design Brief (a summary of the visioning work, the space program, site evaluations, and construction cost estimates).

Develop a Funding Plan:• Develop preliminary scenarios to fund and

sustain the continuing operation of the arts facilities from identified sources, including local, county and state government, federal government, corporations, foundations, and individuals.

• Consider the potential to establish an endowment to support ongoing operations.

• Offer preliminary guidance on the creation of a funding plan, and how to use the study as a fundraising tool.

Conduct Economic impact Analysis: • Forecast the economic impact of new facilities,

including the impacts of construction, operation, and ancillary spending associated with attendance.

• Use regional multipliers to estimate the direct and indirect impacts of the project in the City and County, including outputs, increased earnings, and employment

Develop a Critical Path Plan: Create a critical path plan for project leadership that identifies key milestones and deadlines towards the development and operation of the new center, addresses the planning and design effort, capital fundraising, construction management, and the various preparations for operating a new facility in The Woodlands.

Core Team (Work Session Four)We will take the feedback from Core Team Session Three and incorporate it into the final Project Vision, Design, and Business Plan Brief. We then will review that draft document with the Core Team in Session Four.


Schedule

Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Project Kick-Off Meeting

Core Team Sessions

Phase I: Needs Assessment

Materials Review

Market Analysis

Presentation on forces, trends, process, etc.

Interview & Facility Assessment Trip

Partners, Impacts & Goals

Final Phase I Report Delivery

Phase II: Management/Business Plan

Phase II, Part I: Physical Planning

Phase II, Part II: Business Planning

Ownership, Governance & Operations

Scheduling Charrette

Activity Profile

Pro-forma Budget, Management & Staffing

Workshop to review draft Pro-Forma Budget

Funding Plan & Marketing Strategy

Economic Impact Analysis

Final Report Delivery

Core Team Works Sessions:

Core Team Session One:• Review Needs Assessment findings and obtain feedback to

incorporate into final report• Facilitate Visioning Session for project goals to be studied in

Phase Two

Core Team Session Two:• Review and solicit feedback on scheduling charrette, activity

profile, and comparable projects• Discuss values and needs for physical planning

Core Team Session Three• Review and solicit feedback on physical and business

planning to date• Discuss financial development opportunities and strategies

Core Team Session Four• Review and solicit feedback on study results for incorporation

into final study


GenslerHouston Ballet Center for DanceJim NelsonExecutive [email protected]

When Houston Ballet decided to build a new multi-functional headquarters in downtown Houston, they called upon Gensler for a state-of-the-art facility that would accommodate their needs for the Center for Dance, including rehearsal space for the company, a teaching academy, and support facilities. Houston Ballet’s new Center for Dance opened in February 2011, as the largest facility of its kind in the United States.

Sterling AssociatesMATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston)Emily ToddImmediate Past Board [email protected] 713.951.7451

The MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston) is a multi-venue arts facility unlike any other in the United States. This is a venue where small and midsized arts organizations can rent space to exhibit, perform, rehearse, educate, and perform administrative tasks, and where audiences of all ages can enjoy the diverse exhibits and performance opportunities. Sterling Associates was involved with the MATCH since its inception and helped raise the $25 million to design and build the facility and begin operations.

Webb Management ServicesHoward County GovernmentMark HowardDirector of Downtown [email protected]

In 2015, Webb Management Services was hired by Howard County to determine if there was a need and opportunity to develop new arts spaces to support the County’s large community of artists. As a result of our studies, we have been hired to assist in the development of the resulting arts center proposed to principally include community spaces for arts education, rehearsal, and small-scale performance.

Fee

References

Gensler’s fee and the fees of our consultantsare typically based on a comprehensive ProjectDefinition, which includes the Scope of the Projectand the Scope of our Services. We have formulated our fee based on providing the best, most comprehensive response to this RFP through the methodology outlined in this proposal.

Fees Expenses

Phase I $34,000 $5,000

Phase II $42,000 $7,000

Total $76,000 $12,000


Similar Study

Webb Management Services’ relationship with The Woodlands Township dates back to 1998. In 1998, Webb Management Services was hired to update the operating projections for the new theater and make recommendations on how to integrate operations of the new facility with the existing amphitheater. The facility opened in late 1999. In 2006, the Woodlands Town Center Improvement District hired Webb Management Services, this time to examine a potential need for new cultural facilities in the Town Center. They worked with TCID’s Cultural Arts Task Force to develop options for new facilities, test, and advance the options, and select one that has the most potential to support the Town Center as a regional destination.

Webb Management Services is thrilled at the opportunity to partner with The Township yet again.

Gensler is...leveraging the power of design to create a better world.

711 Louisiana Street, Suite 300Houston TX 77002USATel 713. 844. 0000Fax 713. 844. 0001

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the woodlands cultural arts center · 2016-08-18 · 711 louisiana street suite 300 houston tx...

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