June 18th, 2012
By Rick Pender |
Arts |
Posted In: Theater
Another Cincinnati Landmark?
Operator of Showboat Majestic and Covedale Center to open new facility in East Price Hill
Cincinnati Landmark Productions (CLP), operator of the Showboat Majestic and owner and operator of the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, is looking to expand its entertainment empire with a new facility in East Price Hill, not far from the Primivista Restaurant. At a meeting today with the East Price Hill Improvement Association, representatives from CLP will present a proposal to build a new performing arts center in the Incline District.
The
plan is for a theater with approximately 250 seats that will be
programmed throughout the year. CLP estimates 112 evenings of
performances, including theatrical productions, a summer season,
concerts, comedy events and cabarets.
CLP
recently marked the tenth anniversary of the Covedale Center, a onetime
movie theater that the group acquired and renovated. The West Side
fixture has seen stead growth in attendance over the decade since
opening in 2002. In its first year, there were 804 subscribers; 3,600
are anticipated for the coming season. Season attendance in 2002-2003
was 13, 990; for 2011-2012 it grew to 35,300.
Representatives
from CLP have already met with developers and leaders of the East Price
Hill Development Association for exploratory purposes. CLP’s executive
artistic director Tim Perrino says that both his organization and the
developers view the partnership as a win-win. The vacant parcel on
Matson Place has nearby parking and dining — as well as the spectacular
view that’s familiar to generations of diners at Primavista.
“The people we’ve talked to,” Perrino explains, “see the true value an arts center can bring to a neighborhood. The arts create neighborhood vibrancy, more pedestrians, good news stories, visitors from outside the neighborhood, more bar and restaurant patrons and improved neighborhood perception.
The
project is still a concept without a budget or plans, but it’s an
exciting prospect coming from an organization that clearly knows how to
connect with audiences.
