It’s easy to dream, but it’s a challenge to present the data that supports the dream.
Russ Lawrence of western Independence’s Changing Seasons Gift Gallery, Green Dog Gallery and Englewood Botanical Gardens – all located within the historic Englewood district – has dreamt of Englewood’s official designation as an arts district. He’s slowly waking up to a possible reality after the investment of several local entities.
The Independence Council for Economic Development has commissioned a study for the feasibility of an arts district in Englewood. Starting Monday and ending today, Arthur Greenberg with AMS Planning & Research Corp. conducted first-phase leadership interviews with stakeholders in the Englewood district in hopes of “trying to understand the context surrounding this project,” said Greenberg, director of AMS’ Midwest branch in St. Louis.
The United States has about 75 officially designated arts and culture districts, he said. If Englewood is officially designated as an arts district, what effects could that title mean? That, Greenberg says, is the big question.
“There’s a really wide range from ‘Let’s just hang up some banners and call ourselves an arts district and do nothing else,’ to full-time staff, fully dedicated funding sources,” he said. “It’s a pretty big continuum, and none of them exists in a vacuum.”
With the ICED as the study’s coordinating agency, three local entities will provide funding sources – the city of Independence, $18,500; the Englewood Business Association, $2,000; and the Truman Heartland Community Foundation, $5,000; for a total of $25,500.
The study’s concept started in summer 2008 after residents in the Englewood area expressed interest in how to reopen the Englewood Theatre and explore other possible uses for the theater, said Tom Lesnak, president of the ICED. Wade Williams still owns the theater. The ICED then submitted a request for proposals, received three responses and selected AMS.
With offices in St. Louis, Connecticut and California, AMS Planning & Research has provided consulting services for the arts and entertainment industries for 20 years. AMS Planning & Research’s scope of services includes a market analysis, cultural institutions’ inventory, site and building analysis and model case studies. The case studies, Greenberg said, are perhaps the most important component because they provide a context in the final decision process of whether Englewood is labeled an official arts district. The final report will be published sometime in May or June.
With one art gallery already open and hopes to open a second one, Lawrence said the key to Englewood’s success lies with its ability to attract original Mom-and-Pop stores.
“The bottom line is this: Englewood is a sleeping gem,” Lawrence said. “It could be the Art Deco district of the Midwest – seriously. It could be an amazing attribute not only to Independence but to the entire Kansas City area.”
While discussions have taken place about adding an arts district to the Independence Square, the Independence Square Association believes it is best as a well-rounded district of restaurants, art galleries and retail shops, said Tom Waters, president of the Independence Square Association.
Waters, a member of the Englewood arts district steering committee, was asked during a feasibility interview of whether Englewood as an arts district would offer too much competition for the Square.
“The answer is ‘absolutely not,’” said Waters, stating that Englewood would make an ideal arts district because of its size, quaintness and existing businesses. “We’re developing unique shopping districts, and we’re close enough that we can market for each other. Everyone would like to see it (Englewood) go back to its heyday when it had all of your services like a post office and pharmacy, but the reality is that we have to take existing, unique areas like the Square and Englewood and create reasons for people to come back and spend time here.”
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It’s easy to dream, but it’s a challenge to present the data that supports the dream.
Russ Lawrence of western Independence’s Changing Seasons Gift Gallery, Green Dog Gallery and Englewood Botanical Gardens – all located within the historic Englewood district – has dreamt of Englewood’s official designation as an arts district. He’s slowly waking up to a possible reality after the investment of several local entities.
The Independence Council for Economic Development has commissioned a study for the feasibility of an arts district in Englewood. Starting Monday and ending today, Arthur Greenberg with AMS Planning & Research Corp. conducted first-phase leadership interviews with stakeholders in the Englewood district in hopes of “trying to understand the context surrounding this project,” said Greenberg, director of AMS’ Midwest branch in St. Louis.
The United States has about 75 officially designated arts and culture districts, he said. If Englewood is officially designated as an arts district, what effects could that title mean? That, Greenberg says, is the big question.
“There’s a really wide range from ‘Let’s just hang up some banners and call ourselves an arts district and do nothing else,’ to full-time staff, fully dedicated funding sources,” he said. “It’s a pretty big continuum, and none of them exists in a vacuum.”
With the ICED as the study’s coordinating agency, three local entities will provide funding sources – the city of Independence, $18,500; the Englewood Business Association, $2,000; and the Truman Heartland Community Foundation, $5,000; for a total of $25,500.
The study’s concept started in summer 2008 after residents in the Englewood area expressed interest in how to reopen the Englewood Theatre and explore other possible uses for the theater, said Tom Lesnak, president of the ICED. Wade Williams still owns the theater. The ICED then submitted a request for proposals, received three responses and selected AMS.
With offices in St. Louis, Connecticut and California, AMS Planning & Research has provided consulting services for the arts and entertainment industries for 20 years. AMS Planning & Research’s scope of services includes a market analysis, cultural institutions’ inventory, site and building analysis and model case studies. The case studies, Greenberg said, are perhaps the most important component because they provide a context in the final decision process of whether Englewood is labeled an official arts district. The final report will be published sometime in May or June.
With one art gallery already open and hopes to open a second one, Lawrence said the key to Englewood’s success lies with its ability to attract original Mom-and-Pop stores.
“The bottom line is this: Englewood is a sleeping gem,” Lawrence said. “It could be the Art Deco district of the Midwest – seriously. It could be an amazing attribute not only to Independence but to the entire Kansas City area.”
While discussions have taken place about adding an arts district to the Independence Square, the Independence Square Association believes it is best as a well-rounded district of restaurants, art galleries and retail shops, said Tom Waters, president of the Independence Square Association.
Waters, a member of the Englewood arts district steering committee, was asked during a feasibility interview of whether Englewood as an arts district would offer too much competition for the Square.
“The answer is ‘absolutely not,’” said Waters, stating that Englewood would make an ideal arts district because of its size, quaintness and existing businesses. “We’re developing unique shopping districts, and we’re close enough that we can market for each other. Everyone would like to see it (Englewood) go back to its heyday when it had all of your services like a post office and pharmacy, but the reality is that we have to take existing, unique areas like the Square and Englewood and create reasons for people to come back and spend time here.”
