OFFICIAL - Performing Arts Center construction

[chrizow]

REMINDER: Groundbreaking ceremony today at 4pm, performances and party starting at 5pm

On October 6, from 4 to 9 p.m. you’re invited to the Crossroads District to enjoy the Kauffman Performing Arts Center ground breaking and celebration.  This special event, which commemorates the kick-off of construction, will complement and coincide with regular First Friday event and is open to the public.

4:00 p.m. Ground breaking ceremony at 17th Street (between Wyandotte and Central). 

5 – 9 p.m. Live entertainment on stage at 19th and Wyandotte.

View a scale model of the concert hall.

A traditional groundbreaking complete with hardhats and shovels will take place at 4 p.m. on the new Performing Arts Center site on October 6. The public and invited guests will gather toward the bottom of the Performing Arts Center hill (roughly 17th and Wyandotte) to watch the earth move. Guests will also hear brief remarks from Julia Irene Kauffman, Mayor Kay Barnes and design team leaders Moshe Safdie, Richard Pilbrow and Yasuhisa Toyota.

From 5 to 8 p.m. the action moves to the old fire station at 19th and Central (and a nearby parking lot) to become part of the First Friday festivities. You’re invited and here’s what you can expect:

^ A one/tenth scale model of the concert hall is being built in the old fire station at 215 W. 18th Street. The public will be invited inside to take a sneak peek at this model under construction which will be used to test acoustics and perfect design concepts. The model is no tiny treasure: it will be 15 feet high and 18 feet wide.

^ Performances from several area groups begin at 5:00. The line-up includes:
o Kansas City Symphony
o Lyric Opera
o Kansas City Ballet
o Kansas City Youth Symphony
o Kansas City Boys and Girls Choir
o Reach Dance Company
o Ten String Symphony
o Kacico Dance Company
o Von Smith
o City in Motion Dance Theatre
o El Ballet Folklorio
o A Ha Dance Company

^ Ambassadors will be seen all around the Crossroads, assisting at the ground breaking, sharing their excitement and encouraging First Friday visitors to get involved.  You won’t want to miss this celebration.

[Downtowner]

The paper described the PAC location as between Central and Wyandotte. This is on the sloping side of the hill that peaks closer to Broadway. Does anyone know what is going to become of that vacant area? Seems like more of the prime spot than what they've chosen.

[tat2kc]

It was supposed to be the ballet school, but they are moving to Union Station. I don't know if anything has been announced for that spot since then.

[Sonfire]

Did anyone get a picture of the gigantic model of the building they were supposed to have?

[chrizow]

i attended the groundbreaking, saw the model, and witnessed the free performances on 19th st by the Opera, Ballet, Symphony, and other groups...

the groundbreaking was pretty amusing.  it was highly ceremonial.  we clapped a lot for people.  everyone (except mr. hall, inexplicably) donned a hard hat and dug a hole in the ground for the cameras.  reassuring, inspiring speeches occurred.  probably 200 people were there.  it was a pretty nice occasion.

i was pretty unimpressed by the model, really.  it's a cool model and everything, but i guess just from being on this site and following this project for a long time, a model didn't have the "oooh" factor for me...but it did for others, so that is good. 

the free performances were great.  a perfect addition to first friday.

[shinatoo]

Acoustical models aren't supposed to have an "oooohhh" factor. they are just to check acoustical behavior in a building prior to construction. Architectural models are used more to wow the public during fundraising. With computer modeling, architectural models are becoming less and less common.

But that's cool that it is finaly taking off.

[moderne]

    The opera house is to be named for Muriel Kauffman and the symphony hall for the Helzbergs.  The organ is to be built by Cassavant Freres of Montreal.

[Highlander]

Now that the official groundbreaking has occurred, has there been any actual construction or site preparation for the PAC?  We need another webcam!

[loftguy]

The recent groundbreaking was ceremonial.  The dirt is due to start moving in December, and that timing is subject to change, too...

[kard]

Yeah.  Last I heard is that you won't see any thing more happening until December.

[KCMax]

Actual digging starts tomorrrow, according to KCUR, although weather could inhibit what they can do.

[DaveKCMO]

still no visible activity.

[chrizow]

i saw a nefarious loft-dweller walking his large dog in there, permitting the beast to unload a giant dump onto the hallowed grounds of the PAC.

[macnw]

That's what I call progress

[BVC]

i saw a nefarious loft-dweller walking his large dog in there, permitting the beast to unload a giant dump onto the hallowed grounds of the PAC.

Maybe a little fertilizer was all that was necessary to get things rockin'...

[Beltonhawk]

I've seen surveyors on site in the past few days as well as some stakes. Hopefully some digging will begin soon.

[DaveKCMO]

jersey barriers are up around the perimeter. digging soon?

[KansasCityChiefs]

We're well into December, and so far no digging? 

[kard]

They've been working on 16th pretty good there, re-routing utilities.  Not sure if they have to do more there before digging or not.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Are they going to relocate the ballet to some temporary facility until their new digs by Union Station are ready?  I would think that their existing building will have to come down fairly early in the site prep process.