| Arts
Center Draws Closer |
| Overshadowed by the news of the day labor site in this week's
editions were two very important and promising developments
about the future of Herndon's downtown area and the future
of the arts in town. |
| As TV crews and regional and national reporters descended
on the town Tuesday and Wednesday nights to await the Town
Council's decision on whether to continue the have a day labor
site in town, the council approved two great agenda items
that are long overdue. |
| The first was authorizing the mayor to enter into a letter
of intent with a land developer to turn over town-owned parcels
of land in the downtown area in exchange for the developer's
eventual building of a cultural arts center, a parking garage
and other improvements and amenities. |
| This project, while far from final approval and even farther
from full design and completion, finally brings the town closer
to its decades-old quest to liven up the downtown area with
smart, pedestrian-friendly and urban-oriented architecture
and design. |
| Two years ago the town seemed to be close to closing a public-private
partnership that would have accomplished the same thing. While
the town faces many pitfalls and should proceed with skepticism,
the opportunity is Herndon's biggest step forward toward building
its dream downtown. |
| The second great item the Town Council approved Tuesday
night was the lease of space in the old Hands Inc. building
to the Herndon Foundation for the Cultural Arts. This lease,
which should have been much easier to come by, will allow
the town to open a visual arts center now in preparation for
the eventual construction of a full arts center in the coming
years. |
| It will enable the town to develop programming, and more
importantly, to generate excitement for the arts in Herndon—two
elements that are crucial in raising funds to bring the vision
of the arts community to reality. |
