AMS Planning to Give Final Report for 311 W. Main in August

The direction and future of 311 W. Main Street will be revealed by the end of August.

By that time, the 311 W. Main Task Force will have a final report and recommendation from AMS Planning on how to move forward with the programming, management, funding and other options for 311 W. Main Street in Lansdale.

The consultant's first task was to get public input from those who care about the future of the building. 

It did just that at the Tuesday night task force meeting at the

While a light turnout - about one-three-hundredth of the entire population of the borough attended - it didn't detract from the purpose of the meeting.

Lynette Turner, of AMS Planning, said the public input was the first step in the process.

"We want to hear what they have to say. We want input on what their vision should be for the renovated facility," Turner said.

She said they are still in the very early stages of the process. 

What they are, more than anything, is a reality check for Lansdale.

"What we are looking at is the community to assess what they want to happen there, and then the reality. It's never going to be a 1,000-seat facility," Turner said.

"Again, it's early in the process to be more articulate in that, but we do a reality check. We start big like this. We really want to know what everybody wants to see happen, then hone it down to what is physically, realistically able to happen in that space," she said.

She said they want the center to be successful for Lansdale.

"We want it to be a place for the community. It certainly can be something. We have to articulate what that will be," she said.

One thing in the design is to recommend how the borough can fund the facility.

"We’re a clean slate. We're coming in new. We’re reading and studying what others have said it's going to cost. We’re going to base it on what we learn through our research, in terms of what we suggest," Turner said.

She said diversity of funding is important.

"We have seen around the country, that if people have one or two funding sources, and if the state government goes away or this foundation folds, then they are in trouble," Turner said. "It's important to have public and private sector support, but also to have a diversity of funding in order to be successful." 

Turner said AMS Planning has reviewed all meeting minutes and notes and did a background review relating to the property.

"We reviewed all we can in the past, and the vision in the past can inform us as we move forward," Turner said.

Turner informed the audience on the role that arts centers play across the nation and shared AMS Planning's scope of work.

She said everything is open for discussion on the future uses of the center.

"There's no need to be put in a box," she said.

The arts center must be vital to the culture of our area, she said. It must facilitate opportunities for cultural experiences and welcome and retain people.

"Once they come and feel welcome, you have to have programming to entice them to come back," she said. "They need to think that whatever activity they can relate to arts and culture, it' true."

The former arts center must be many things: a place to showcase, an incubator, an educator, an innovator, a host and a community developer.

"We find the community arts center is playing a role in having something for children to do," Turner said. "You want to be creative. It's OK to take risks. You want the programming your constituency wants to see. Do not think of it as a failure. If you try, you are giving it your best shot and allowing people to problem solve."

AMS Planning plans on listening to the people, learning from the community and thinking about the future of the facility. Turner said the listening part of it will include a public survey and interviews with potential users.

"We're doing a survey put out through public entities. People will be directed to a site online where they can give us their input," Turner said. "Tonight was great because people can come in person. But there are other people who couldn't be here. We will be asking what they would like to see happen in the facility, what they would think about funding - all the questions we think are important to answer to get this project to move forward."

AMS will also look at the demographics of the area to target programs for users.

"We will create a sustainable business model," Turner said. "The business model will be implementable and we will work hard to make sure we have a model to lead us forward and be successful."

AMS will also compare what Lansdale's aspiring to do with other towns and their goals.

"What did they need to do to be successful, and where did they fall short?" she said.

An activity model will also be developed by AMS for the arts center.

"We will know who needs space, for what, how often, how much to rent and any subsidies," she said. "All that is needed to be successful."

Turner said the completed business plan in August would be a guidestone for the task force.

"There will be an opportunity at the end for public comment. We will look at the goals and statistics and be given input on that," Turner said. "Transparency throughout the entire process is important. It's your community center."

She said the community needs to embrace the center and say what needs to be done in order to be part of the success.

The outcome of the report will ultimately include not just a detailed business plan, but also the role of the local government with the center.

Task force chairman and councilman Mike Sobel made his intentions known with the role of Lansdale and the arts center.

"This is not to be run by the local government," Sobel said. "That's not what we're here for. Our folks in our departments are good at keeping everything working. Somebody has got to run this art center that knows how to run an art center."

AMS Planning will be in attendance at every 311 W. Main Task Force meeting here on out.

The next scheduled 311 W. Main Task Force meeting is May 8 at 7 p.m. at the parks and recreation building.