The stage is

set as Vista Field transforms into Tri-Cities’ new urban core.

And waiting in the wings to take its place there is the Arts Center Task Force.

More than two

acres has been set aside for the landmark project — the Tri-Cities’ first

center for the arts — aimed at anchoring the new urban development at the now

closed airport.

The

30,000-square-foot Vista Arts Center will feature an 800-seat theater, large

lobby suited for special events, art gallery exhibits, educational space and

catering set-up kitchen.

The Arts

Center Task Force, a volunteer-run nonprofit established in 1995, intends for

the space to serve all interest areas of artistic expression: music, dance,

theater, festivals, exhibits, concerts and conferences.

“Logistically,

we have our key partners,” said Renée Adams, executive director of ACTF. “But

we will also have open nights … we are curious to hear what else the community

wants to see.”

The overall

goal of establishing a center for the arts is “making entertainment

opportunities available to everybody in our community,” she said. “What are you

interested in? What do you travel to Spokane, Seattle and Portland to see? It’s

about bringing that entertainment home.”

To date, the

task force has accomplished its initial fundraising goals, raising about $1

million toward the project’s development.

“All of that

has gone toward purchasing the conceptual design and building on the

infrastructure of our organization so that we can build our base for

fundraising,” Adams said. “We have completed a draft of our business plan and

have had it vetted from other industry pros — other managers of similar-sized

theaters.”

Currently,

ACTF is in a “quiet phase” of the center’s development, or what Adams called a

“pre-capital campaign phase,” in which the group is actively identifying and

engaging key stakeholders.

“It’s a phase

of lots of grassroots movement with a lot of conversations and collaborations …

it’s what happens before everyone sees a big, flashy campaign,” Adams said.

The next step

for the ACTF team will be to embark on a capital campaign to raise about $750,000

to pay for a schematic design for the facility.

There’s no

official estimate for the project’s total cost, though an earlier figure cited

by ACTF was about $35 million.

Vista Arts

Center is being funded through private donations and grants, which can be made

on a one-time basis or through multi-year pledges. Commitments of time,

expertise and materials for the center’s development and construction also are

welcomed. All donations are tax deductible.

​ACTF also

can accept gifts of various types, including cash, securities, life insurance,

interest in or gifts from trusts.

ACTF signed a

letter of intent with the Port of Kennewick in 2017, agreeing to raise the

money necessary to build the arts center. In exchange, the port set aside a

2.2-acre site for ACTF to buy for $10,000.

“We regard

the Port of Kennewick as a partner in achieving our mission,” Adams said.

Adams said

the agreement with the port makes the time table for the project flexible for

both groups.

For more information about ACTF, go to artscentertaskforce.com or find on Facebook.