SANTA ANA STUDIES ARTS FACILITIES UPGRADING

A sweeping upgrade of Santa Ana’s longtime concert-hall and museum facilities--a move aimed at boosting the city’s cultural ambitions--is now being studied by the City Council.

Although the proposals for a $4-million renovation of Santa Ana High School Auditorium and a $20-million expansion of Bowers Museum are still strictly exploratory, the moves are considered the city’s latest attempts to catch up with newer arts-facilities construction in south Orange County.

“The whole county is coming of age culturally, and the new developments have been going up at a rapid pace,” Santa Ana Mayor Daniel E. Griset said. “We feel Santa Ana has a vital role to play in that same trend. We want to restore this city’s leadership in that (arts) area as well.”

However, the going has been rough for both proposals. Reactions from the Santa Ana Unified School District, which owns the auditorium, have ranged from lukewarm support to strong opposition. Backers of the city-owned museum, already faced with heavy competition from other arts campaigns, have shelved indefinitely a fund drive to pay for any expansion.

Under the consultants’ preliminary plans being considered by the City Council, the city would:

- Join the school district in completely revamping the 50-year-old auditorium near 1st and Ross streets. The city and district might share the responsibility of operating the facility. Griset said the city is willing to foot the entire $4-million renovation cost, plus paying an additional $4 million for razing a two-block area for new parking.

- Consider a $20-million expansion that would double the size of Bowers Museum. Built in 1936, the facility at 20th and Main streets is now 24,000 square feet. The city is studying whether the expansion can be financed with mostly private donations or as a venture with private developers.

(A Bowers Museum involvement in a proposed U.S. tour of three “European masters” exhibits, including works by El Greco, apparently has been terminated. According to Robert Podesta, head of the nonprofit group promoting the venture, Bowers “is out” because of a dispute with Santa Ana officials over a preliminary agreement. Podesta has not announced any other museums in the venture or the signing of pacts with the foreign governments supposedly involved.)

The 1,578-seat Santa Ana High School Auditorium has been the leading classic-concert locale in Orange County for years--the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Orange County Pacific Symphony are among the regular attractions. Despite its age, the facility has won wide praise for its acoustics.

The school district uses the auditorium about 30 days a year, contrasted with 75 days for renting for non-district events, such as the city-hosted “Great American Talk Festival” lecture series held this week.

The city’s architectural consultant, Blurock Partnership of Newport Beach, has proposed a massive renovation that could include a redesigned entryway, larger stage, new seating, more office and storage spaces and a possible wine-and-beer reception bar. The nearby two blocks to be razed could provide spaces for 300 vehicles.

According to Griset, the city has proposed setting aside $8 million in a forthcoming municipal bond package for the auditorium renovation and the razing of the two blocks.

Both the city and school district have announced that additional staff studies on uses, various types of joint management and the impact on regular school activities are still to be made. But no date has been set for the next meeting of district and city staffs.

“This project is really just an architectural idea at this stage. There’s a lot of questions still to be answered. There’s a great concern on just how our (educational) mission might be affected by such (city) involvement,” said Joan Wilkinson, district board president.

Griset said: “The project’s in their (the school board members’) court now. The next move is up to them. Unless we get their complete support, I doubt if the city will want to proceed any further with this project.”

The Bowers Museum expansion proposal is equally tentative at this time. The city’s consultant, William Baer & Associates of San Francisco, has urged that no large fund raising be undertaken for Bowers for at least the next three to five years.

Although Baer found widespread acceptance of the need to eventually expand Bowers, the consultant said that there are too many competing drives for private donors, especially the current $78.9-million campaign to construct the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Most discussions have been on expanding the museum. Another Bowers option would be for private developers to build an office high-rise next to the museum under the city’s redevelopment program. The museum could then use space in the office structure for galleries and other uses. This proposal also remains in the exploratory stage.

However, according to William Lee, Bowers Museum director, many of the other changes in the Baer report have been, or are about to be, implemented. These included a reorganized board to involve more countywide leadership, additional staff and docent programs, and increased multicultural and other educational activities.

Such key operational changes will “pave the way” for the eventual Bowers expansion fund drive, said Lee.