Arts Front & Center

After five decades of robust arts programming and service to the community, LPCA is looking to transform its rapidly deteriorating buildings so that the facility can once again match the high quality of programming. LPCA is the only year-round multi-arts complex within a 45-mile radius in New York State’s North Country, and a vital source of arts engagement for the Adirondack region. Just as Lake Placid boasts some of the country’s finest athletic facilities, so too does it deserve a world-class arts center.

Current problems in LPCA’s existing facility include:

— Lack of accessibility for all patrons, students, and performers

— Limitations on programming due to restrictions on capacity and classroom space

— Worsening structural challenges to the buildings’ foundations and roofs, and outdated mechanical systems that need replacement

— Too few parking spaces

— Inadequate ventilation in the classrooms and insufficient heating in the lobby and auditorium

— Poor visibility of the center itself due to poor lighting and a set-back location on Algonquin Drive

 By renovating and expanding our facility, we will:

— Create a space that is accessible and welcoming to all

— Continue to attract the nation’s most acclaimed artists, musicians, and dancers to the North Country

— Better serve our community by offering a greater number of performances and classes

— Foster a larger pool of home-grown talent by developing a community of local artists ranging from young students to professionals at the top of their field

— Ensure Lake Placid’s legacy as a beacon for arts and culture in the North Country region and beyond

LPCA is working very closely with Marvel Designs (architects) and DBI (project managers) to manage the timeline of this project. Below is our current design and construction schedule:

• Schematic Design: Spring 2024 – Mid-summer 2024
• Design Development: Fall 2024 – Winter 2025
• Permitting and Approvals: Winter 2025 – Spring 2025
• Construction Documents: Spring & Summer 2025
• Construction: Fall 2025 – Spring 2027
• Grand Opening: Summer 2027

After a careful process of project valuation where we compared plans for a renovation against those for an entirely new building, our leadership and board determined that a hybrid approach was our best option. Through a combination of renovation and new build, we will modernize and expand our facility in a process that will be both economically prudent and environmentally sustainable. We’re thrilled with this current plan as it will enable us to make critical improvements to the areas of our facility that need it most, while also maintaining the portions of our facility that are still working well.

Our priorities for the project include the renovation of our theatre, a revitalized visual arts gallery, and a sun-filled lobby for community gatherings and performances. Our new facility will be fully accessible, comfortable for visitors of all ages, and much more energy efficient. We will have expanded parking on premises and build new back of house facilities for our visiting artists. If we are successful in our fundraising goals, expanded opportunities for additional improvements may emerge, including a renovation of our Annex Building.

1) Strategic Planning: Beginning in early 2022, LPCA began inviting community members to discuss how LPCA is meeting (or is failing to meet) the needs of our community during a months-long strategic planning process. We developed a Strategic Planning Committee composed of LPCA staff, board members and outside members of the community, and their feedback will continue to inform decision-making throughout the course of our project.

2) Architectural Review Committee (ARC): LPCA is working with a committee of board members, artists, and community members who are providing regular input about the project at various stages of the design process. Our ARC meetings have been an invaluable way to receive feedback from those who know our facility best, and we will continue to work closely with this team throughout the design process.

3) Ongoing Community Feedback: We are grateful to hear from our community about their thoughts on our project at any time. The better we understand the needs of our friends, neighbors, and visitors, the better we can design a center that works for everyone. Please let us know if you or anyone you know would like to learn more about our plans for our new home!

LPCA is working with CodeGreen, a national building solutions firm, to serve as our sustainability consultants on this project. With their counsel, our modernized facility is on track to achieve LEED Silver certification and will be much more energy efficient than our current 50-year-old home. While our current facility is poorly insulated and largely dependent on fossil fuels, we are aiming for our new home to be fully electric and simpler to maintain.

Highlights will include:

— A new, electric mechanical system for heating and cooling

— Better insulation to protect against harsh North Country winters

— New stormwater treatment systems to comply with current local code

— Sustainable building practices, like the incorporation of recycled materials, and the reuse of elements from the existing structure for any new construction

We have also tasked DBI and CodeGreen with helping us conduct a study to determine if our property would be a good candidate for geothermal heating. We are giving this question very serious consideration, and will know more about our pathway forward later this year.  

LPCA’s project will transform the arts landscape of Lake Placid for residents and tourists alike, and revitalize the North Country’s reputation as a multifaceted region with cultural offerings of the highest quality. 

As our ticketed audience swells due to our expanded programming and modern new facility, so too will their spending–on everything from local retail and post-show drinks, to transportation and childcare costs associated with their visit. All told, we project that future audiences will spend a combined $1.8M annually in addition to their tickets and on-site purchases, which is a 20% increase from current spending. 

Through organizational and audience spending combined, we calculate that our project will support 148 full-time equivalent jobs in the region, and contribute a projected $167,152 in local taxes to Essex County and $273,073 in state taxes to Albany.

In June 2023, LPCA was awarded a $7.5 million grant from the New York State Council on the Arts–the second-largest grant the Council has ever awarded to an arts organization. This historic award means our project can now become a reality–but this is just the beginning! We’ll need to rally many more resources to build the accessible, sustainable, multi-purpose center that our community deserves. 

We are working with a fantastic team of consultants helping to lead and manage the project:

Marvel Design (Architect)

Marvel has designed some of the most striking cultural buildings of the past two decades, including St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, Broadway’s Lyric Theatre, and TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Loring Consulting Engineers (MEP)

Loring has engineered notable cultural spaces such as the National Park Service’s Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and Delacorte Theater in NYC.

McLaren Engineering Group (Structural)

McLaren Engineering Group has provided structural engineering on high profile projects such as the Hudson Theatre renovation in NYC as well as Broadway’s Belasco Theatre.

Charcoalblue (Theatre Consultant)

Charcoalblue, the world’s leading multinational theater, acoustic and experience design consultancy, serves as our theater consultant. Their portfolio of clients include London’s National Theatre and Royal Opera House, Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, the Sydney Theatre Company in Australia, and the Luminato Festival in Toronto.

DBI Projects (Project Management)

DBI is a leading project management firm that has managed hundreds of significant real estate and capital projects in the cultural, education, residential, and commercial sectors. Their clients include such notable arts institutions as St. Ann’s Warehouse and The Perelman Center at the World Trade Center.

CodeGreen (Sustainability Consultants)

CodeGreen is a national building solutions firm that partners with clients to make buildings safe, healthy, resilient, and sustainable. Their clients range from major financial firms such as Bank of America and J.P. Morgan, to technology companies such as Google, Apple, Netflix and more.

AD Hamingson & Associates (Capital Campaign + Strategic Planning Consultant)

A.D. Hamingson and Associates is a full-service consulting firm providing strategic guidance to their clients on fundraising and organizational planning. Their clients include St. Ann’s Warehouse, Building for the Arts, Rattlestick Theatre, and Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

Check out our Learn More section to stay in the loop about this exciting project.