Lease in best interests of Clarkson, council

A recent letter to the editor from Tori Whiteford celebrates an exciting opportunity for the St. Lawrence County Arts Council to develop a new multi-arts center in Clarkson University's Damon Hall, which will be a much needed resource for the entire north country. The letter also called into question the ownership of the facility and the working partnership that SLC Arts Council has entered into with Clarkson to make this plan a reality.

After careful consideration and discussion of many different alternatives that included some of the scenarios suggested in Ms. Whiteford's letter, our organization — the SLC Arts Council — and Clarkson mutually agreed that it is in the project's best interest to lease Damon Hall for the amount needed to cover the cost of building maintenance, grounds upkeep and insurance. With the University already maintaining a large portfolio of buildings and grounds, it is in the best position to minimize these expenses. No profit margins are factored into the rates.

This arrangement allows the SLC Arts Council management team to focus on its mission to the greater community and allows for alternatives for maximizing usage of Damon Hall as an arts facility. Tax payments to the town and village of Potsdam will be made for studio and work space that is rented to private entities, just as happens now for other properties that Clarkson owns and leases to such renters.

With plentiful natural light for artists' studios and galleries, a dance studio, a theater and recital hall space for performing arts, Damon Hall's conversion to a multi-arts center represents a unique opportunity to share Potsdam as a destination for arts and culture. Through the village of Potsdam, an application has been submitted to the Empire State Development Corporation Restore NY program, and more fundraising is in progress using the resources of our arts community and Clarkson staff.

We are grateful to Clarkson University for their willingness to develop this exciting new arts center in collaboration with us. This important partnership will help to strengthen the long-term feasibility of the arts enter in many different ways. Our respective organizations are committed to working together to make our region a premier place to live.

We welcome questions, ideas or concerns about our plans to create a multi-arts center in Damon Hall. We will be holding public information sessions later this summer as the project unfolds, and we appreciate the community's support and enthusiasm in pursuing this opportunity.

For additional information about the project, we invite you to visit our Web site www.slcartscouncil.org or feel free to contact our executive director, Hilary Oak, (315)265-6860.

Susan Thomas

Potsdam

The writer is president of the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.