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Expressions of Interest Sought for Crystal City Theater Space

Expressions of Interest Sought for Crystal City Theater Space

Crystal City (Arlington, VA) - The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is seeking Expressions of Interest for the professional management, programming, and operation of the theater space at 1800 South Bell Street. Initially launched as a temporary home for Arena Stage, a nationally recognized and Tony award-winning theater, the space is expected to become available when Arena makes its way back to a completely rebuilt theater home in Washington, D.C. in October of 2010. Responses are due November 20, 2009, and the new group will be selected and announced in Spring 2010.

“Arena Stage has been a hugely successful collaboration, and the Crystal City BID wants to maintain the momentum by bringing in another performance art producer or presenter that can have a similar level of success individually and for the area,” said Angela Fox, President/CEO of the Crystal City BID. “The Crystal City BID will continue its support for the arts not only for its impact on our community’s social fabric but also because it makes economic sense. A theater impact study conducted by the Crystal City BID during the winter of 2009 found that, despite the economic downturn, the theater in Crystal City provided a significant economic boost for our restaurants and retail.”

The 460-seat performance venue was created in early 2007 as an innovative reuse of a former neighborhood movie-theater (and later a Marriott conference facility). Convened by the Crystal City BID, a consortium of key stakeholders transformed the space into a fully functioning theater suitable for the presentation of live stage productions. By the end of 2007, with a newly renovated performance space available to them, Arena Stage, one of Washington’s most prominent theater companies, temporarily relocated to Crystal City during the renovations of their SW Washington home. To date, more than 190,000 patrons have visited their Crystal City home, and their production of “Next to Normal” went from Crystal City straight to Broadway.

Interested theater or arts groups with the capacity to manage and operate an annual schedule in the space should submit an Expression of Interest. An informational package and instructions on the submission can be found at www.crystalcity.org.

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The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership established in April 2006 to promote the vibrant Crystal City business, retail, restaurant and residential community. The BID is committed to showcasing the area as a world-class destination for visitors, employees and residents. Crystal City is ACTIVE, ARTFUL, ACCESSIBLE, and GREEN. For more information, visit www.crystalcity.org.