TRAVERSE CITY -- A decision could come soon on the City Opera House's future.
Traverse City commissioners may decide next week whether to sign off on a proposed three-year management deal between the opera house board and the Wharton Center for Performing Arts from Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Wharton would take over operations, bookings and financial responsibility for the venue in July, should commissioners approve.
The deal was negotiated quietly for months and the public and elected officials learned about the proposal late in the game, a situation that drew heavy criticism at a Nov. 23 city meeting. The contract could have been pursued differently, but it doesn't diminish the promotional expertise Wharton can offer the opera house, officials said.
"In hindsight, could we have done it differently? Yes, maybe. But I don't know that we'd come to a different conclusion," said Bob Spence, opera house board co-chairman.
Spence said board members discussed other possible management organizations, including national companies, but did not issue a request for proposals. They decided a deal with nonprofit Wharton couldn't be outdone, he said.
Wharton would be paid $75,000 a year and will absorb any financial losses during the contract period. It will not cover the opera house's current $250,000 operational debt.
"I just hope (commissioners) keep in mind the fact that Wharton is a high-quality venue manager and we're lucky to have this proposal in front of us," Spence said.
Local author Doug Stanton is a frequent opera house renter for an author's speaker series that raises money for college scholarships. He's not worried that Wharton will deny local access to the venue. Additionally, the partnership will be beneficial, no matter how it was reached, he said.
"It sounds like a good deal thus far," Stanton said. "I wouldn't position this as a back-room deal. My perception was it was a volunteer board trying to figure out how to stay in the black."
And that's exactly what Wharton intends to do for the opera house, said Michael Brand, Wharton's executive director.
"I think we can bring the knowledge of how to lay the business plan out for how this theater should operate," Brand said.
Wharton will book a dozen or more events each year, leaving plenty of available dates for local groups like the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Traverse City Film Festival, Porterhouse Productions and more, he said.
Mayor Chris Bzdok said it's important for city leaders to ensure local access is maintained at the opera house. He also said surprise contracts like the one commissioners will consider shouldn't happen that way.
"People expect us to be in charge, so we need to make sure we're in charge," Bzdok said.
If you go
The Traverse City Commission will discuss whether to approve a three-year City Opera House management contract with the Wharton Center for Performing Arts on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. on the second floor at the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Ave. in Traverse City.
