The Plano City Council will vote Aug. 10 to formally designate downtown as the city's arts district.[/caption]The Plano City Council will review and vote on the designation of the downtown Plano area as the city's arts district at a regular meeting Aug. 10. The Historic Downtown Plano Association unanimously approved the plan at its Aug. 5 meeting.
The move to formally designate downtown as the arts district is an endeavor nearly 20 years in the making, Deputy City Manager Frank Turner said. The downtown revival began in the mid-1990s with the expansion of Haggard Park, and later with the introduction of the Courtyard Theatre and the transformation of the Cox gymnasium into a playhouse.
The changes started to bring new life to the area in the form of businesses, restaurants and arts organizations, Turner said. With work in progress to turn McCall Plaza into an outdoor music and event venue and the restoration of the nearby Saigling House—which will soon be home to the ArtCentre of Plano—Turner said it makes sense to take the next step by getting the public and the city’s endorsement.
“It’s taken a lot of thought and time to put together the framework for how we move forward,” he said. “We have very few competitors north of the LBJ [Freeway] and I think it’s time for us to seize the responsibility by advancing this. We want all of downtown Plano to be the palette, if you will, of artistic expression.”
In December, the city council approved an agreement with the ArtCentre of Plano to restore and re-purpose the Saigling House as an arts, cultural and events center. The house was constructed in 1906 and is located in Haggard Park at 902 E. 16th St. The ArtCentre of Plano is temporally moving from 901 18th St. to the Cox Building Playhouse at 1517 H Ave until the restoration is complete.
“We will be speaking to all art groups and artists about the plan,"Turner said. "Our effort is not directed to relocating art groups and organizations, as the arts should be celebrated and accessible throughout the city. The plan is directed at achieving better coordination among the organizations, artists, businesses and patrons of the art to enrich the community and strengthen downtown Plano’s identity and sense of place through celebration and support of the arts.”
