Six months after successor Barry Henderson left due to reasons not publicly expressed, 69-year-old Jim Sears was back as president and general manager at Center in the Square, declaring himself refreshed and invigorated. Sears left Center shortly after guiding the downtown cultural hub – home to several museums and Mill Mountain Theatre – through a 30 million dollar renovation process greatly aided by historic tax credits that helped defray much of the construction costs.
Since he returned in June, Sears said he has spent time reorganizing the staff and defining more clearly what their roles are. He’s also been listening to people on issues like admission pricing – and plans to announce some major adjustments soon. Those changes will include a pay-one-price admission that will allow patrons to visit more than one attraction. A once-a-month sharply reduced admission price on Sundays is also in the works.
“It’s been quite a challenge [but] enjoyable,” said Sears about his first three months back at the helm. He said that along with development director Julie Goodman they are focusing their attention on “higher donor prospects,” looking for people or businesses that can give more. “Now’s the time to change focus and make Center sustainable for years to come, which means we raise a little bit more money for our endowment.”
Sears supports a concept floated by Vice-Mayor Dave Trinkle and businessman David Wine, a city-backed $20 million endowment fund that would generate money then be distributed to local arts and cultural institutions. “I think it’s a great idea.” Still Sears said it probably wouldn’t be enough to replace the two million dollars-plus that the state used to send to Roanoke, money that was split among arts organizations including Center in the Square.
Sears doesn’t anticipate that money returning, after then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli ruled that Virginia could not support organizations not owned outright by the Commonwealth. Sears also likes a concept long-floated: a specialized downtown district tax – like the meals tax – that would be raised just for the arts. “We’ve talked about that for about 20 years,” he chuckled. Such a tax would require General Assembly approval because of Virginia’s Dillon Rule.
“It was impossible to make that up through corporate and individual contributions,” said Sears about the loss of state money. Shutting down Center and making major renovations was one response – find a way to get more paying patrons in the door was the goal, said Sears.
They are now tracking about 5000 people per week coming through the atrium, attracted by the aquariums perhaps – Sears said the freshwater turtles and not the tropical fish are often the biggest attraction. Butterflies (at the Science Museum) and rooftop entertainment spaces were other bold moves at the remodeled Center he added. “The new Center attracts more visitors …than we ever have before. Now people come to the atrium and [often] linger for an hour or two.”
Many of those people then head up to the Science Museum of Western Virginia; Sears hopes the coming combination ticket pricing will encourage more visitors to check out the History Museum and the Harrison Museum of African-American Culture as well. He feels pricing at the Science Museum can be justified – “that’s not a bad value … considering the newness of their exhibits and the challenge that they are giving people – to think. I don’t think it’s terribly high [pricing]”
Sears does recognize that it can be costly for a family – recommending a membership as one way to lower the admission price. That membership locally can also be used at participating museums around the country. Yet not a day goes by, he noted, without the lobby staff being asked about lower, pay-one-price ticketing, so it’s on the way. “It’s been a topic of discussion for years and I think we’re at a point now where [it will be enacted].”
– Gene Marrano
