The Long Center

From Urban Austin

In November 1998, Austin voters approved a plan to allow the Palmer Auditorium, built in 1959 on the shores of Town Lake, to be renovated into a multi-venue community performing arts center by a nonprofit entity then known as Arts Center Stage. The original plan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as four-venue, $125.1 million performing art center. But due to a three-year, post September 11, 2001 economic recession, the Long Center was forced to scale back its project. On October 24, 2003, a new plan was unveiled that would include an initial two-theatre facility for $83 million, including hard and soft construction costs, operating capital through its inaugural year, and a $10 million endowment. The "Adaptive Re-use" project will be built in two phases - Phase I now under construction at South First Street & Riverside Drive and Phase II to be built in the near future consisting of the Topfer Theatre and a Recital/Rehearsal Hall. The Long Center is scheduled to open in March of 2008.

Additionally, the Long Center is an exciting recycling project that allows for 65% of the old Palmer Auditorium to be reused in the new facility. Overall an astounding 97.6% of materials removed from the old structure, including steel, concrete and dirt will be reused elsewhere.