Councilman Smith, who represents the 12th Council District that includes the university, presented President Koester with the formal resolution of support that was unanimously adopted by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday, Oct. 29. The university also marked the occasion by erecting the first project sign for the future arts center.

"I want to welcome you to a very historic moment in the history of California State University, Northridge -- but more importantly, a historic moment for the San Fernando Valley," said President Koester, adding that the PAC project "is going to fan the flames for the cultural and creative spirit of the San Fernando Valley."

Councilman Smith, noting that "there's an excitement around CSUN these days," called the Valley Performing Arts Center project "an important thing not just for Northridge, not just for the California State University system, but for the whole San Fernando Valley and truly for the entire city of Los Angeles."

"One of the things I've always heard is, ÔThere's no culture in the Valley.' With this building, we will make a very strong statement that culture is very big and it's a very important part of our lives here in the Valley," Smith said. "With this 1,600-seat facility, we will be able to bring major performances into the Valley that will be enjoyed not just by the San Fernando Valley, but by the whole city of Los Angeles as well as our neighboring communities."

Joining President Koester and Councilman Smith at the campus celebration for the Valley Performing Arts Center project were a trio of community leaders: Bruce Ackerman, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley; industrial parks developer Sanford "Sandy" Paris, who also is a member of the CSUN Foundation Board of Directors; and Clyde Porter, a longtime arts activist and promoter in the Valley.

Although the Valley currently has a number of smaller performing arts venues, including several at Cal State Northridge, none are large enough to support large-scale performances such a Broadway-style show or a symphony orchestra. Thus, the proposed 1,600-seat hall would be the largest facility of its kind in the Valley and open the region to those kinds of performances.

As planned, the center also would have other spaces including a 250-seat "black box" theater, rehearsal spaces, a lecture hall, laboratories specializing in sound and lighting, and become the new home for campus radio station KCSN 88.5 FM. The state will financially support the project because it will be part of the university's academic programs.

The university has been planning the arts center project for some years, and has identified a site near the main entrance to the campus at the northwest corner of Nordhoff Street and Lindley Avenue. Half of the project's cost is expected to be covered by state funds, while the other half would come from private donations. CSUN plans to complete the project before 2010.

The Valley Performing Arts Center, planned as a partnership between the university and area arts organizations, would become a cultural hub for the region. The center also would serve as an attractive meeting place for large community events. The center would host a mix of professional, community and university performances.

The university is readying a fundraising campaign to seek about $50 million in support of the Valley Performing Arts Center project, and is forming a campaign committee co-chaired by some of the most prominent business and community leaders in the region.

"This project, a partnership between the university and the community, truly can become the cultural Ôcrown jewel' of the Valley, enhancing the quality of life for the entire region," said Ackerman of the Economic Alliance. He noted the Valley's long history of efforts to create a regional arts center, but added, "Nothing has ever gotten this close to being a reality."

Ackerman also said the Valley Performing Arts Center will be great for business in the region, and particularly those in the surrounding Northridge area. "The economic impact alone of what a performing arts center like this will bring to the Valley is astronomical," he said.

"I'm glad the City Council has recognized what we already know," added Paris of the CSUN Foundation board. "Cal State Northridge is the place where this outstanding project can become a realityÉ. To borrow a movie phrase, we have all Ôthe right stuff' here at Cal State Northridge to make this project happen."

Porter, who opened the 170-seat West Valley Playhouse in Canoga Park in 2000, said the 1,600-seat venue at Cal State Northridge "will raise the presence of arts in the Valley to a new level." Porter added, "The City Council's endorsement of the project is a clear sign that this project is real and on the move."