New and Renovated Cultural Facilities

The key to the success of the cultural district is both a public and private investment in new and renovated cultural facilities that will provide residents, visitors, artists and arts organizations with a wide range of venues to participate in the arts. Each facility will be tailored to the specific needs of the programs and activities it will house.

A. Cary Community Arts Center

Old Cary Elementary School will be transformed to become the new Cary Community Arts Center, providing rehearsal, performance and practice spaces for theatre and music, as well as classrooms and studios for visual arts.

The existing building, built in 1938, is ideally suited for these types of activities. Its cast in place concrete frame with masonry infill and brick veneer serves not only as an important historical terminus to Academy Street but also offers a structurally-sound facility that can be economically adapted for the arts. Its wide corridors, high ceilings and generous windows are ideal for arts activities that typically require large open spaces with natural light. However, in order to make the building fully operational, its mechanical and electrical systems will need to be replaced, bathrooms will require renovation and enlargement, and a new elevator inserted, sized appropriately to accommodate not only passengers, but also the transfer of props and materials from one floor to the other. The building will also likely require asbestos abatement and will need to be brought up to all current codes. The front entrance of the building will need to be made fully accessible. Should finances allow, future phases may include a new stage tower and additional backstage support as well as an addition to the building, providing two large rehearsal rooms - one for theater, the other for dance.

The preliminary program for the Cary Community Arts Center suggests approximately 11,575 square feet of usable space for performing arts and 7,385 square feet for visual arts, for a total of 26,850 square feet. A new stage and back-of-house, should it be constructed, will provide an additional 4,860 square feet with an annex building/addition providing 3,000 square feet of rehearsal space.

Guiding principles for the renovation of Old Cary Elementary include:

1. Allocate program by discipline vertically throughout the building

2. Match program and activities to existing room configurations

3. Use existing building core but acknowledge need to upgrade and expand:

-Bathrooms

-New elevator for both public and freight

-Building systems

B. Cary Center for the Arts

A tremendous addition, both to the arts in Cary as well as to the economic development of downtown is the creation of a new Cary Center for the Arts. Located at the terminus of Academy Street, adjacent to the proposed sculpture park and across the street from the Cary Community Arts Center, the Center for the Arts will become a major destination for residents and visitors alike. Featuring a 1,200 seat multi-purpose auditorium, the Center will provide an ideal venue for theater, music and dance while its 2,000 square foot art gallery will be host to a wide variety of local, regional and even national exhibitions. A generous drop-off will provide ease of access for visitors as well as a convenient area for loading and unloading of school-aged children arriving by bus.

Service and loading to the Center will be off of Walker Street. An attractive decorative wall combined with a generous landscape setback will visually screen these activities from adjacent neighbors, while providing a secure environment for the Center.

Since the visitors’ experience to an art event often begins with parking their car, the plan recommends the construction of a new parking structure along Walnut Street, within close proximity of the Center, easily accessible from Academy, Walnut and Walker Streets. This parking structure will provide over 650 parking spaces to serve both the needs of the new Center as well as the Community Arts Center. A portion of the ground floor of the parking structure will be dedicated to retail activities/and or additional exhibition space. A pedestrian plaza will provide an informal gathering space connecting the parking to the Center, a perfect setting for retail kiosks, small scale special events and outdoor exhibitions.

Finally, by providing a pedestrian bridge across Kildaire Farm Road, people will be able to move freely and safely between these two major cultural venues as well as to and from the sculpture park. If appropriately designed, the bridge can serve as a visual gateway into the downtown as well as an arts project in itself.

The program for the Center suggests a building of approximately 100,000 gross square feet and approximately 61,000 net square feet. This includes approximately 21,170 square feet for public areas including lobby, exhibition space, concessions and box office; over 20,000 square feet for the auditorium itself; 870 square feet of stage support; 7,000 square feet of performer support including dressing rooms and a large rehearsal room; building services of approximately 1,200 square feet and 2,500 square feet of administrative space. A detailed space program follows.

C. Digital Media Arts Center

The nature of arts is changing as technology advances, making technology increasingly integral to the making, listening and viewing of art. Many universities across the country now offer programs and degrees in digital media, while communities as diverse as Grand Rapids, Michigan to Towanda, Pennsylvania have established centers and programs geared toward increasing “media literacy” – with computers becoming not only a source for research but also a tool for artistic expression. These types of activities and programs are extremely popular with youth, providing them an opportunity to experiment with digital film, computer projections, synthetic music and computer graphics.

As such, an important addition to the downtown Cary Cultural District is the creation of a new Digital Media Arts Center. In its initial stages, the existing Human Resources Building located immediately behind the library on Academy Street can be adapted for this use. As its popularity grows and expands, a larger facility elsewhere in the district may be warranted.

The center as currently proposed would offer a media lab, a computer training classroom, a recording studio, a media library and a small lobby, totaling approximately 2,430 square feet.

The above diagram illustrates how the Human Resources building could be reconfigured to provide these types of spaces.

D. Sculpture Park

As the Town of Cary has envisioned its future downtown, public open space has played a key role. The Town Center Plan proposes open space as a potential central feature in its recommendations. The importance of this is evident through the City’s initial efforts to acquire property along Academy and Walnut Streets for this use. Building on the interest in public space and the arts, and on the interest expressed by a large number of citizens during the community outreach process, the potential vision for the cultural district features a large, eight acre sculpture park at its heart. The potential park will highlight works by local, regional and national artists, integrated into a park-like setting with paths, benches and nighttime lighting. At its center will be a water feature, providing an ideal setting for a café with outdoor dining. Fountains and special lighting will offer visual interest both day and night.

Centrally located within the park will potentially be the Waldo Rood house, offering visitors a glimpse into the history of Cary. Fully renovated and restored, the house will serve as an information center, providing material on “what’s happening in Cary” including current art offerings. An exhibition area can also provide information on the sculpture found throughout the park as well as background on the artists.

Another potential feature of the sculpture park could be an informal amphitheatre, potentially with tiered grass seating and a small performance platform, a perfect venue for small music, dance and theatrical performances of both a formal and informal nature. With the walls of the Center serving as a backdrop, the amphitheatre can also be a venue for “Movies in the Park”, a popular summertime feature for families.

Other proposed potential park improvements include botanical landscape plantings, pedestrian paths, benches and lighting, making the park a popular public destination day-time or evening.

E. Arts Incubator

Artists and arts groups not only need space for rehearsals, performances, exhibitions and the making of art, but also for organizational activities that require office space, meeting rooms and support facilities. In addition, many artists benefit from close proximity to other artists, learning from one another, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects. The Fire Administration building provides an excellent opportunity to create such space. Located along Academy Street, within close proximity of Chatham Street, the building is easily accessible, and with a large exterior entrance from parking, would also be able to accommodate loading and unloading of art materials and supplies.

With only a modest level of renovation, the building would be able to provide approximately 8,585 square feet of space for the arts, including a workshop/construction area, rehearsal space and dressing rooms, offices, a conference room and an exhibition/retail gallery.