Ohlook Performing Arts Center

Since I know many of you have been following our 2 steps forward 8 steps back adventure for our search for a new space I thought I would give you the latest update.    The last news many of you heard was probably that we were going to move to Southlake to a new 6000 sq ft building but after some lease conditions that were less than desireable for us we began speaking to our new landlord at our current location on Barton St.  He was very interested in what it would take to keep us at our current location.  Jokingly I told him "a new building"!  I was certainly surprised when he said "OK"!  So long story short, with the wonderful Dave Zobrist (Zoe's dad and architect that has come to our rescue again and again) and our fabulous new landlord and some nice people in the City of Grapevine (Ross Bannister - thank you!!)  we have plans for building an add on to our current location.   It's all very exciting but still in the planni ng stages.  We are working with the city, turning in new plans, to have a historically accurate "front facade" to our building, a new 150 seat theatre, more bathrooms, rehearsal space, storage and dressing room space!  We will know in February if everything goes through the city and if so they will break ground then.  We hope that the new space will be ready to go by summer.  In the meantime, they have it designed so we will not be shut down at all during this process so business this spring will go on , if not as usual, but still go on!  And the very best part of all of this is that we get to STAY in Grapevine, close to Napoli's, Sonic, and the Main Street Bakery - and all those things we would have missed so dearly in our new location! 

We will be starting up a new fund-raising campaign to help raise money for new lighting, seating and other accoutrements that will be needed in our fancy new building!    There is a tab at our website where you can go now and donate to help Ohlook into this next stage of it's development.  We are also asking for not just monetary donations but donations of TIME, TALENTS, and SUPPLIES.  In order to keep the cost of building this new building down so that we in turn can keep our rent down as much of the work as we can legally do ourselves we will be doing.  If you would like to help please contact me at jlord@ohlookcreativ e.com and let me know.  Or if  you have a business that might donate lumber, plumbing, fixtures, lighting, seating, storage - almost anything you can think of please contact me as well.  We have already had some generous supporters step up and donate a new A /C unit and an electrician has donated his time to do all our electric work.  I thank you in advance for hanging with us during this time and as we step into our bright new future!

UPDATE 1/27/10

The historic preservation society approved the designs for our new building.  Step One - DONE.   Next step, approval by the City Council at their meeting in February or March.  We'll keep you updated as we go along!