HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/12/2019 Item 10, Regier
Purrington, Teresa
From:Ron Regier <rsregier@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, November 11, 2019 12:31 PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Please approve SLO Rep building project
To the members of the San Luis Obispo City Council:
Since I’m not acquainted with all Council members, please allow me a brief introduction. I spent the majority of my
career at Cal Poly as Director of Cal Poly Arts and, for its first 20 years, as Managing Director of the PAC. In service to
our city and community, I’ve served on SLO’s Architectural Review Commission (‘93-98), the Parks & Rec Commission
(’07-15), Rotary de Tolosa for 32 years and was a Founder of the SLO Youth Sports Association. I appreciate the
opportunity to contribute to the conversation about plans to build a new theatre in the beloved historic San Luis Obispo
downtown.
From my viewpoint as former manager of the PAC, this SLO Rep project, with the associated parking structure, will be a
much needed and dynamic complement to the city’s partnership in that world-class performance venue. I have always
believed that the city’s long-term plan to establish an Arts & Culture corridor in the downtown is wise and far-
sighted. The proposed, new theatre and adjacent cultural facilities will attract and keep visitors in our downtown and
serve as an active city center resource for our own citizens. Expanded programming at SLO Rep will attract larger
numbers of people, creating a greater economic driver and a boost for commercial businesses in the downtown, including
restaurants and hotels. The placement of the SLO Rep theatre building and the parking structure as the southern anchor of
this Arts & Culture corridor makes good sense.
The architects employed by the city and SLO Rep have created a design that’s functional, effective and attractive. I’m
very pleased with how the front of the theatre addresses Monterey Street; at how there is open space and that the entry
with glass is a friendly approach to the street, inviting people in. At an earlier stop in my career, I was the manager of a
contemporary cultural center in the historic downtown of another small city. It was a wonderful, well-loved addition that
created greater vitality in the heart of the downtown; as will this theatre. As you’re more than aware, “Downtown
Vitality” is an adopted Major City Goal for San Luis Obispo. To my mind, this can be one of the building blocks in
achieving this goal and the city should jump at this opportunity.
Having spent my entire career in the performing arts, I can understand how excited SLO Rep’s artists, volunteers, donors
and supporters are with the prospect of developing and operating a live theatre in this cherished location, long designated
by the city for use by our local theatre group. I believe that approval by the City Council will fulfill a long-held
community dream and have a positive impact on our city’s core. I encourage you to approve this project.
While I recently moved to Trilogy in Nipomo, I lived almost 32 years in the City of San Luis Obispo, plus my family has
deep roots in SLO going back to the late 1940s. I think San Luis Obispo residents will be pleased with and proud to have
this new addition in its downtown. Thank you for giving consideration to my comments.
Respectfully, Ron Regier
1168 Spring Azure Way
Nipomo, CA
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