Performing arts center gets gift from BB&T

FLORENCE — BB&T Bank has given $325,000 to build the amphitheatre of the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center.

BB&T Senior Vice President Frank James opened Wednesday’s press conference at FMU’s Stokes Administration Board Room about the gift by explaining the importance of the performing arts center to the Florence community.

“Placing this facility in the downtown area will significantly impact the economic revitalization of our historic cultural district,” James said. “BB&T sees this not as a contribution, but an investment in the future performing arts center and Francis Marion University. It is also an investment in the future of Florence downtown redevelopment and a promise to a new century of musicians, educators and citizens.”

A pre-bid meeting was conducted at FMU on Tuesday to define the scope of work to be completed and the requirements for submitting bids for prospective contractors.

FMU President Dr. Fred Carter said the amphitheatre is an addition to the performing arts center. It isn’t funded with the donations of $15 million from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, $12 million from the state and $3 million from the city of Florence to build the performing arts center on the 3.93 acres on the corner of South Dargan and West Palmetto streets.

The amphitheatre will be used for casual outdoor concerts, plays and community-wide events, where attendees can bring their own seating or sprawl comfortably on a blanket on the grass and for formal events desiring a spacious outdoor venue with seating, according to a press release issued by the university.

“When we were developing the plans for the performing arts center, we knew that there were two distinct features we wanted to have added,” Carter said. “One of these features was an outside amphitheatre ... the other, a sculpture garden.”

Carter said the sculpture garden and amphitheatre were additions recommended by architects consulted by the university.

Funding has been established for the sculpture garden, as well, but “we’re just not prepared yet to announce that,” Carter said.

The performing arts center will contain space for theatrical and musical performances, as well as instructional classroom and office space, according to the press release. FMU’s fine arts program will use the center for performances, programs and art exhibits. National traveling music, dance and theater productions will be booked to perform at the center, too.

Brad Lukanic, a representative of New York-based Holtzman-Moss Architects, said in February the center would have a 900-seat proscenium theater, which will connect a 100-seat black box theater and an academic wing of classrooms and labs. The center would be fronted by a 9000-square-foot lobby.

Lukanic also said many of the materials being used in the construction of the center would be from South Carolina, as the driving force behind the center was the tenacity and determination of many native South Carolinians. He noted that Florence’s performing arts center would be on par with many of Holtzman-Moss’ New York projects such as the Radio City Music Hall and the New Amsterdam Theatre.

The next step in the construction of the performing arts center will be a bidding process at an Oct. 16 board meeting among the six contractors approved by the S.C. Office of State Engineer: Choate of Charlotte, N.C.; M.B. Kahn of Coastal Division; Dargan of Myrtle Beach; Lee Lewis of Dallas; Contract of Irmo; and Archer Western of Charlotte, N.C.

Bids and finances will be discussed by the board, and Carter will brief the board on ancillary projects related to the facility at that meeting.

Carter said construction on the performing arts center will begin soon after a bid is confirmed. Construction will take 18 to 20 months, with an expected completion date in late spring or early summer 2010.