By Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer
ONEONTA _ Foothills Performing Arts Center has a new name.
The Foothills Board of Directors met Wednesday and voted unanimously to change the name to Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center.
The new name reflects the dual nature of Foothills as a performing arts venue and a civic center, board Chairman Doug Reeser said.
Reeser said conventions and trade shows are potentially great fits for Foothills.
"We need the income from the civic side to support the performances," Reeser said.
In recent weeks, the center has also retooled its staff and is focusing more on presenting outside events rather than producing them, he said.
During a tour of the facility Monday, Reeser said $750,000 is needed to complete the 624-seat, main theater to the point it will be operational. Other finishing touches, such as paving outside the building, carpeting inside the theater and other furnishings would cost another $500,000 and could be done incrementally, he said.
Construction cannot move forward until the funds are raised, Reeser said.
But four other spaces at the 24 Market St. facility, which consists of two conjoined buildings built separately over a four-year period, are used for events. They include a boardroom on the second floor that seats up to 25 people; a theater and lecture hall on the second floor that can accommodate up to 120 people; a first floor space that can accommodate more than 200; and a newly constructed glass atrium outside the main theater that can host up to 375 people.
A shake-up at Foothills in early January resulted in the firing of four employees, including then-Executive Director Jennifer McDowell. Two other employees resigned in support of their colleagues, but one of them, Geoffrey Doyle, has rejoined the organization.
Janet Hurley-Quackenbush, who has a background in catering and event planning, was hired in January as the civic, theater and special events coordinator. She is also an Oneonta town councilwoman. Part-time executive assistant Jessica McAlpine is also a new hire. Doyle, Operations and IT Manager Dan Faucher and part-time custodian Jason LeBeau round out the paid staff.
Foothills is no longer seeking an interim executive director. The board of directors is instead considering the hiring of a fund development director with an expertise in grant writing or tasking a committee to perform those duties, Reeser said.
Hurley-Quackenbush said there are a wide range of options for groups looking to rent space at Foothills and fees are based on several variables, including the level of service and technology required for a particular event.
The tour Monday was for a handful of local residents involved in the arts, culture and music scene. A similar tour Friday was held for local elected officials.
