The Bellevue City Council squirreled away $1 million in its biennial budget last week to be committed to an ongoing public-private partnership under negotiations to complete the long-delayed Tateuchi Center. The city’s final contribution will likely be at least 10 times that amount, but Councilmember John Stokes said that could depend on the will of Bellevue voters.
The Performing Arts Center Eastside has been steadily working through terms of a memorandum of understanding with the city since May, exploring how the Tateuchi Center will serve as a public benefit and allow the city to make a more significant commitment to its completion.
“What we’re doing is working through the MOU we have now with PACE, and have consultants in and a committee and we’re meeting biweekly,” Stokes said, adding a report and recommendation is expected to come before the council early next year.
Currently the city is exploring committing $10 million to $20 million toward the performing arts center’s capital costs, PACE having raised more than $60 million so far. Its campaign fundraising goal is around $170 million for construction and operation costs, as well as a $10 million endowment.
Stokes said there are several options for funding the project, including issuing bonds, adding the project to the city’s capital improvement program and applying for a King County arts and culture grant. A special hotel/motel tax set to expire soon, the revenue from which has been historically committed to the Meydenbauer Center, could be renewed and put toward the Tateuchi Center. There also has been discussion about funding the project through a levy.
“Of course, if it goes out to a levy, it will be up to an individual group, PACE, to do the campaign because the city can’t do that,” Stokes said, adding he believes residents would vote in favor of the performing arts center.
John Haynes, PACE executive director and CEO, said the performing arts board reenergized last spring, writing checks for more than $600,000 to continue operating costs and ensure donors their contributions are dedicated to capital costs. Three new board members will be added this month, “and we’re not done,” Haynes said.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve been gloomy about it, but I have renewed optimism about it getting done,” Haynes said of the Tateuchi Center.
While the city and King County have made significant contributions to the project over the past several years — the city spending $2 million to purchase design plans for the center — Haynes said he’s less optimistic other Eastside municipalities will be quick to loosen their purse strings. While a performing arts center on the Eastside would be a regional benefit, he said, Bellevue will see the greatest benefit.
“I think it’s difficult, if you’re the mayor of Issaquah, to say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to write you a check for $2 million,'” Haynes said. “If the city of Bellevue can make that work, I think it’s because there’s quid pro quos involved.”
Stokes said regional performance companies have already expressed an interest in utilizing the Tateuchi Center in the future, including Fifth Avenue Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Symphony.
“With more traffic and other factors, they’re concerned about keeping in touch with their patrons and getting over here,” he said.
A $25 million pledge from the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation remains firm, as does the site property that was donated by Kemper Freeman Jr.
