EDITORIAL

Whether it’s built solely with private money or the city has to kick in

some, the Newport Beach Public Library Board of Trustees’ idea to build

an arts and education center is nothing short of fabulous.

The concept, the brainchild of board Chairman Jim Wood, was introduced to

the community last week -- a 22,000-square-foot facility behind the

Central Library in Newport Center that would house a public art gallery,

three classrooms, a 400-seat auditorium, 6,000-square-foot reception hall

and offices.

It would be a place where locals could attend lectures, residents could

hold town hall meetings -- a place that could become a centerpiece of the

city.

“This would really make the area and the city stand out,” said Corona del

Mar resident Vicky Street, who added she’d gladly “add some of her

savings if they would guarantee this would be built here.”

Eve Shenil liked the idea as well -- said it is “probably one of the best

things I’ve heard in a long time.”

We think so, too.

The arts and education center would be a well-used, much-appreciated

facility -- a project worth every cent of its projected $12-million cost.

It’s this kind of vision that makes our community a special place.

Funding this type of project is never easy, of course. It’s a lot of

money for the city to come up with. We’d imagine a portion of it would be

paid with public funds. And why not? This is an ideal use of taxpayers’

dollars. But the lion’s share would need to come from private sources --

which will be tougher than usual, since the Orange County Performing Arts

Center will be hitting up the same people to help pay for its expansion.

But with enough support from the community, the arts and education center

is a dream that can be realized. Just look at the Central Library. That

$8.2 million project was built through a private/public partnership.We

hope, however, that any fund-raising efforts would be delayed until the

end of the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation’s $2.5 million

endowment campaign. The foundation is halfway there already, and members

expect to reach the goal in the spring. It would take at least that long

to win all the appropriate approvals for the center.

We applaud Wood and his board colleagues for their vision and foresight,

and we encourage city officials and residents to do the same.