INC NEWS - FW: Durham Performing Arts Theater

Wed Nov 1 21:25:40 EST 2006

FYI

[This email is a matter of public record, as it was sent to durhamnc.gov
email addresses.]

  _____  

From: Caleb Southern [mailto:southernc at mindspring.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:49 PM
To: 'Bill Kalkhof'; 'Bill Bell'; 'Cora Cole-McFadden'; 'Howard Clement';
'Thomas Stith'; 'Dianne Catotti'; 'Patrick Baker'; 'Michael Woodard'
Cc: 'John Burness'; 'Melissa Muir'; 'Maria Davis'; 'Matthew Coppedge';
'Alice Sharpe'; 'Rick Brown'; 'Michael Goodmon'; 'Mike Ruffin'; 'Connie
Campanaro'; 'Michael Page'; 'Ronald Evans'; 'Brad Wiese'; 'Chuck Watts';
'Ken Lile'; 'Ted Conner'; 'Sherry DeVries'; 'Richard Morgan'; 'Allen
Wilcox'; 'Roger Gregory'; 'Diane Catotti'; 'Alan DeLisle'; 'James Easthom';
'John Marlowe'; 'John Messick'; 'Bernie Prazenica'; 'Rick Roccesano'; 'Andy
Rothschild'; 'Scott Selig'; 'Wink Swain'; 'John Warasila'; 'Darren Howell';
'David Woodell'; 'Duane Dragan'; 'Michael Lemanski'; 'Elaine Morgan';
'Bonnie Layman'; 'Ken Reiter'; 'Queron Smith'; 'Tucker Bartlett'; 'Joni
Madison'; 'Larry Loeser'; 'Audrey Sellers'; 'Rich Harris'; 'Tracey Goetz';
'Sarah Hill'; 'Tom Niemann'
Subject: RE: Durham Performing Arts Theater

Bill,

With all due respect, I do believe it is in the best interest of the
citizens of Durham for the Theater funding issue to be separated from the
Duke Central Campus rezoning issue (including the related improvements to
Anderson Street). I agree with the public sentiments expressed (I believe)
by four of our City Council members.

My opinion is my own, as an individual citizen. But this opinion is informed
by my role as a member of the Durham Planning Commission, and the
complications of "contract zoning", or the appearance thereof.

Furthermore, my opinion is not related to my reservations about the proposed
theater (which predate my membership on the DDI Board of Directors). I fully
expect both the theater and the Central Campus rezoning to be approved by
Council, given the right conditions and timing. My interest is that we do
not set bad precedents regarding the transparency of local governance in our
great city.

I urge Council to proceed with both issues separately, with all due civic
conscience and jurisprudence.

All best,

Caleb Southern

608 Yancey St

  _____  

From: Bill Kalkhof [mailto:bkalkhof at downtowndurham.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 3:43 PM
To: Bill Bell; Cora Cole-McFadden; Howard Clement; Thomas Stith; Dianne
Catotti; Patrick Baker; Michael Woodard
Cc: John Burness; Melissa Muir; Maria Davis; Matthew Coppedge; Alice Sharpe;
Rick Brown; Michael Goodmon; Mike Ruffin; Connie Campanaro; Michael Page;
Ronald Evans; Brad Wiese; Caleb Southern; Chuck Watts; Ken Lile; Ted Conner;
Sherry DeVries; Richard Morgan; Allen Wilcox; Roger Gregory; Diane Catotti;
Alan DeLisle; James Easthom; John Marlowe; John Messick; Bernie Prazenica;
Rick Roccesano; Andy Rothschild; Scott Selig; Wink Swain; John Warasila;
Darren Howell; David Woodell; Duane Dragan; Michael Lemanski; Elaine Morgan;
Bonnie Layman; Ken Reiter; Queron Smith; Tucker Bartlett; Joni Madison;
Larry Loeser; Audrey Sellers; Rich Harris; Tracey Goetz; Sarah Hill; Tom
Niemann
Subject: Durham Performing Arts Theater

Durham Performing Arts Theater

On behalf of DDI, I write (once again) to ask your support for the Theater
contract that will be on your agenda for Monday night.

As you deliberate, I trust you will not forget the many reasons why our
community would benefit from the Theater.  Libby Barnes, MaryAnn Black,
James Easthom and I, representing the Chamber and DDI, outlined these
benefits to you and the community in an op. ed. article last June.  In
addition, you received numerous e-mails and calls of support from members of
the Chamber and DDI Boards.

However, now the community discussion about the Theater project has been
complicated by the proposed funding arrangement between Duke and the City
related to Anderson Street.

While some in our community see a possible "quid pro quo" deal, I am not one
of them.  As I understand the proposal, Duke is asking the City to allow it
to design and maintain the public infrastructure of Anderson Street.  I
believe that the design and maintenance of the street is not directly tied
to zoning and the types of businesses which will locate on the street.  What
type, and how much retail, and other uses that eventually get developed on
Anderson Street as a part of Duke's Central Campus plan will be decided
through Durham regulatory process.  In the meantime, the opportunity for the
City to have such an outstanding community partner as Duke accept the
responsibility to design and maintain this street seems like a very good
arrangement to me.  Again, I do not see this as Duke purchasing the City's
vote related to the types of businesses that will locate on the street.
Rather I see an opportunity for the City to allow a great partner to accept
the public infrastructure responsibility for a significant public right of
way.  And, I believe that Duke has resources which are not available to the
City to really change the look and feel of Anderson Street in a most
positive manner.

The suggestion has been made by some that the Council should delay its vote
on the Theater proposal until such time as the zoning for Anderson Street
has been decided.  A key question related to this suggestion is what happens
to the Theater's financial proposal if the Council delays its vote?

The City currently has received two rounds of construction bids for the
Theater, and these bids are locked in until mid-November and early-December.
These bids meet the guaranteed maximum price set by the Council for the
Theater.  If the Council does not approve the financing package on Monday
night which allows the City staff and development team to lock in the
construction bids, and the mid-November and early-December dates pass, the
construction prices will be re-bid and we will be in complete danger of
losing every bid we now have in place.  This is a huge risk given today's
volatile construction pricing environment.

In addition, interest rates are very favorable at this time, and if the City
can lock in rates very soon, the City will realize additional significant
interest payment savings.

As always, thanks for all your hard work and long hours on this very
exciting, and complicated, project..

Bill Kalkhof
President 

Downtown Durham Inc.
115 Market Street
<http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=115+Market+Street&csz=Durham
%2C+NC++27701&country=us> 
Suite 213
Durham, NC 27701 

bkalkhof at downtowndurham.com <mailto:matthew at downtowndurham.com> 
http://www.downtowndurham.com/ 

tel: (919) 682-2800
fax: (919) 682-1980

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