Isn’t there already a theater downtown? BCT, on 9th and Fulton. As far as I know, it’s private and already fulfills the “Boise Guardian list of requirements” (as well as being generally excellent)!

I’ll be accepting my $73,000 check anytime.

Oh, man! You’re just getting started, building a list.

There’s the BSU Special Events Center.
The Egyptian Theater.
Outlaw Field (old State Pen).
Hawks Stadium. (Yeah, it’s in Shelbyville… er… Garden City… but hey.)
There are other venues in other nearby communities – Meridian, Eagle, Nampa.

If they are all occupied to capacity, then MAYBE a case could be made for another one.

For those who pay attention to such things, Boise’s municipal spending habits certainly clarify why they need to take the maximum legal property tax increase, year after year. Us taxpayers are FLUSH with dough, and eager for the government to help us spend it!

Boise is becoming increasingly like free-spending King County, Washington. Voting doesn’t seem to be sufficiently efficacious action, so aside from writing letters of outrage or tying up city hall’s phone lines, any other ideas for registering our discontent? P. S. Esther Simplot Academy is also a nice little performance site.

I beg to differ. We definitely need another decent theatre in Boise. Art groups who would use are constantly struggling to find a venue. What we DON’T need is the F35 debacle. BTW – art in public places is the only thing keeping Boise from turning into a city of really ugly big buildings and nothing else.

Fran, please explain more.

It seems like your message “struggling to find a venue” should be ‘stuggling to find a FREE or affordable venue’.

And who are these “art groups”?

A few examples would be nice? Then can you try to put a dollar value on those?

In the 15 years I’ve lived in Boise; I’ve noticed the downtown area go from a good place to shop to nothing more than a place to dine, drink and be entertained. It’s purely a “Bread and Circus” Venue. Beiter won’t be happy until it’s that and there is no auto traffic in the downtown. Head out to Meridian!

This can be privately funded and built. If the market needed a theater, there would be one built. with all the theaters and event venues in town, there is not a need for another publicly funded or publicly subsidized venue. BCT, shakespeare festival, Esther Simplot Performing Arts Center, Morrison Center, Idaho Center, Taco bell Arena, Knitting Factory, New BSU fine Arts, BSU Spec Center, Boise Arts Collective, Idaho Center, BSU Amphitheater, Ann Morrison Band Shell, Knitting Factory, Revolution Center, Outlaw Field, Expo Idaho, BSU Student Union, and hundreds of tax exempt churches and schools with under-utilized auditoriums, etc

Boise does not hire consultants to perform a true study, they hire consultants to manufacture the assumptions and report needed to support the City’s pre-determined outcome. Can you say Trolley?

If the City wants another Theater, and thinks there is a market for it, put an RFP on the street for a entrepreneur to purchase city surplus land and build a theater. Win/Win, we get a theater and current tax-exempt land becomes a contributor to the tax base. If no one responds to the RFP, then it is proof there is not a need for another theater. No need for a consultant, just try an RFP.

EDITOR NOTE–JJ are you going to claim the $75K for your report there is no need for another venue?

It appears that the consulting group, AMS, created a similar report in 2012 for the Greater Auditorium District.

http://www.boiseauditorium.com/pdf/Boise_Interim_Report_Final.pdf

It appears to cover many of the research points that would be needed. And nothing major has changed in the five years since that study. Will they pocket 73K and simply refresh this report over a weekend?

As others have stated, we have a number of different facilities that can be reserved today, including with capacity in ( ): Boise Contemporary Theater (231), Boise Little Theater (366), BSU Special Events Center (435), St. Michael’s/St. John’s/Cathedral of the Rockies (500, all used for musical events today), Rose Room (600), Egyptian Theater (738), and Knitting Factory (1,000).

Some great resources exist with a number of our schools with VERY NICE, NEW auditoriums, all which can be reserved: Timberline (865), Borah (940), South (952).

Boise has a number of venues within Boise and beyond. If a private donor or developer wants to pursue this effort, fantastic. Otherwise, let’s use that money for more sensible efforts.

I am happy to waive the consulting fee for my findings. I do suggest the City collaborate with Opera Idaho, Boise Philharmonic, Idaho Ballet, etc and do a review of a possible capital campaign to secure donors to build and endow the maintenance costs of a new theater or to provide improvements to one of the many existing local venues. Boise State has examined the cost to improve the Special Events Center to better accommodate music and theater events. Probably cheaper to put money into an existing facility than a new one that will only cannibalize the business of existing public venues.

Dear Local Musician,

Move to Pocatello or Utah if that will give you better acoustics. How good does it need to be?

Whoever said there is a loophole that needs closing is right. Start that process and it will increase accountability.

Also, most local theaters (live) except BLT are really expensive. LA and Portland are two I have noticed have better price structures. We need another theater like we need another religious temple.

Maybe ol’ Docs Tom Alquist and/or Dave Pate can donate some of their millions towards a new facility. They can call it the “Alquist-Pate Memorial Society for the Performing Doctors Center.” No tax dollars necessary.

Studies are done for two reasons and only two reasons:

1. So the political group can say that the study supports their cause. Do you ever recall anyone paying for a study that said the idea was a waste of money? Not.

2. Training and rewarding friendly consultants.