Arts, education center on the drawing board

Stacy Brown

NEWPORT BEACH -- Regardless of how a proposed arts and education center

at the Central Library is funded, local residents overwhelmingly support

the concept.

“I would add some of my savings if they would guarantee this would be

built here,” said Vicky Street, a Corona del Mar resident and frequent

visitor to the Central Library.

The 22,000-square-foot facility would be constructed behind the library

between MacArthur Boulevard and Avocado Avenue on land donated to the

city by the Irvine Co. Library board officials said the proposal could

come before the City Council in about three months.

It would be a single-story, moderate-sized complex with a 400-seat

auditorium, 6,000-square-foot reception hall, public art gallery, three

classrooms and administrative offices.

“This is probably one of the best things I’ve heard in a long time,” said

Newport Beach resident Eve Shenil. “I just hope the new traffic phasing

ordinance they’ve kicked around forever won’t interfere or discourage

anyone from building this.”

Royce Sieber, who has lived in Newport Beach for three years, said the

city “begs” for such a center.

“I can think of a zillion things they could do with that thing,

especially the auditorium,” Sieber said.

The auditorium could serve as a venue for homeowners association

meetings, civic gatherings and other events, said Jim Wood, chairman of

the Newport Beach Public Library Board of Trustees.

The concept -- which the board considered last week -- is still far from

becoming reality.

“This is early in the planning,” said trustee Patrick Bartolic. “But I do

think we are no more than three months away from presenting a proposal to

the City Council.”

Accepting the proposal could prove to be a mere formality if funds could

be raised solely through private contributions.

“We hope that it will be a privately funded project because that would be

the politically astute way to do it,” Bartolic said.

Councilmen Gary Adams and John Noyes, who represents the district where

the facility would be built, and Mayor Dennis O’Neil termed the plans

“conceptually a good idea.”

“You are [absolutely] right -- it’s a good idea,” Street said. “Don’t get

me wrong, the library is beautiful. But this would really make the area

and the city stand out.” According to preliminary plans, other features

to the center would include a two-tiered underground structure to

accommodate parking and a pedestrian bridge to link the center to the

existing 54,000-square-foot library.