“We had several very good proposals but Otterbein did the best job of meeting all of the criteria set forth in our request,” Cunningham said.
After determining in 2007 a need for the arts center in Warren County through community surveys, the board has set out to plan every aspect for the facility, a process it expects to be lengthy.
The board commissioned consulting agency Skystone Ryan in January to conduct a three-month study on possible locations for the proposed arts center. The $100,000 needed to complete the study came from trustee donations according to Cunningham, citing the board’s commitment to move the process forward.
Cunningham said the board has hired an architecture firm to draw plans for a new building or see how buildings located at Otterbein could be used.
The idea behind the facility is to build an arts center that is available to the region with a focus on Warren County, Cunningham said.
“We have studied this issue across the region. The board is determined not to duplicate what is going on with other art venues, but to have something that will add value,” Cunningham said.
Kingswood Park, a former 110-acre golf course owned by and located in Deerfield Twp. and the Countryside YMCA in Lebanon were the other locations considered for the arts center.
“We are very happy that Otterbein can be a part of the future growth of Warren County and the region. We are eager to work with the board to provide a valuable resource for residents of the area and to have our vision for the future move closer to a reality,” Otterbein President/CEO, Jill C. Hreben said in a release.
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