Community Center Theater | Convention Center Policy Update
On October 18th, the Sacramento City Council unanimously voted to approve plans to transform the Community Center Theater (CCT), invest in improvements for the Memorial Auditorium and authorize the City Manager to explore additional options for the expansion of the Sacramento Convention Center (SCC). Plans for these improvements have been years in the making and are sorely needed in order to maintain the momentum we’re experiencing in downtown.
Photo Courtesy: City of Sacramento
Sacramento needs the arts. They define our culture and are essential to garnering a positive national perception of Sacramento. This investment in the transformation of the Community Center Theater into a modern, state-of-the-art performing arts theater will catapult the arts, attracting thousands of new visitors and hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending annually. Nearby downtown property and business owners invested long ago in the vision of a bold and dynamic downtown theater district, with improvements to the theater and Memorial Auditorium. This important step to dramatically upgrade the exterior of the theater creates an iconic destination along L Street, fulfilling the vision of a dynamic hub for the arts in downtown.
While the theater and auditorium improvements have the green-light, the policy and process surro
unding the convention center expansion is still in flux. To better understand the issue, it’s necessary to identify the key stakeholders, priorities and principles behind a successful expansion. For Downtown Partnership, the top priority is building a vibrant downtown theater and convention center district that serves as both the center of culture and the economic engine for the region. To achieve this, the convention center needs to expand. Over the next few months, we will be working hard to help Mayor-Elect Steinberg, the city council and staff to develop the best plan for Sacramento. For more information, check out the proposal that went before council here or read the Sacramento Bee’s article.