East County Performing Arts Center
SDTheaterReviews.com (2012-06-06) PaulKruze
This Page: https://https://copswiki.org/Common/M1266
Media Link: http://www.sdtheatrereviews.com/
More Info: SaveECPAC
Dear Readers
A Guest Editor's Note
by PAUL KRUZE
increases our awareness - of what is happening to a favorite East County THEATER
many of us have enjoyed over the years ... the
East County PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
A. vocal group of passionate El Cajon arts supporters received good news last week with the decision by the El Cajon City Council to reverse a late March 4-0 vote to commence talks with a local developer to demolish the three decades old 1,142 seat East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC), and replace it with a hotel with a 500-seat multipurpose room and theater.
ECPAC Auditorium interior
Located in the center of downtown El Cajon, the theater was built in 1977 by the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College< District. After not being able to fulfill its mission for the theater and budget shortfalls, it was deeded to the City of El Cajon some twenty years later.
Over the decade, ECPAC has had its successes but it has also been fraught with financial losses, politics, and management failures including two attempts by Paul Russell's Christian Community Theater. The latest salvo came in December 2009, when the city council voted to shut down the theater - to address what a consultant hired by the city regarded as a strong need to technically and physically upgrade the theater.
While El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis and city council vowed to reopen the theater within two years the ensuing poor economy and other city spending on basic infrastructure has languished the theater into darkness both physically and politically. The mid-season closure caused many theater renters and local performing arts groups (including the Grossmont Community Concerts Assoc. the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra & the Christian Youth Theater) ... scrambling for alternate area performance venues.
ECPAC backstage area
The citizen's group which raised the strongest objection to ECPAC's razing, the newly-formed ECPAC Foundation, was invited by councilman Tony Ambrose to submit a business plan aiming towards reopening the theater.
In an on-camera interview with East County Magazine, councilman Bill Wells said, "there's a lot a warm feelings for the ECPAC center. There's a lot of discomfort about tearing down a perfectly good theater and building another one. I think it is about being creative and finding a better solution."
The ECPAC - has been consistently recognized for its excellent sightlines and acoustics - and has been the venue for many artists and groups, such as Tony Bennett, the Dixie Chicks, the London City Opera, San Diego Ballet, Judy Collins, Tim Flannery, Neil Sedaka, Diavolo Dance Theatre, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Natalie MacMaster, and in its earlier days, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.
Neal Arthur - the local developer who had proposed razing ECPAC, is to resubmit his plans for a 107-room four star hotel including the existing theater in its development in the very near future.
- by Paul Kruze
The ECPAC Foundation website at www.SaveECPAC.org
We applaud Paul Kruze and the ECPAC Foundation for their determined efforts to save one of SD's valued 'theaters' -which we should not lose ... watch for a special "fundraiser" soon - for the revival of the East County Performing Arts Center, and we offer here our 'nod' of appreciation.
