A Message from Kevin Irving
Dear families and friends of Oregon Ballet Theatre and the
School of Oregon Ballet Theatre -
As many of you know, there has been some speculation in the
press regarding our plans for the property that we own at 818 SE 6th Ave, and
we want to share our perspective with you all directly, given the fact that you
are our most important stake-holders.
First of all, we must recognize that the purchase of this
property in 2000 was one of the smartest things that OBT has ever done.
This building, despite many obstacles, has served us very very well over
the years and we have built up some cherished memories in the studios and halls
of this building. That said, it is also clear that the building is not
only showing its age, it is also an obstacle to the further growth of our
company and school - there simply is not enough space! We believe that
Oregon Ballet Theatre and the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre would run more
efficiently and would be a larger presence in our community if we were able to
offer more classes and welcome more people into our world.
With that in mind, and recognizing what may be an ideal
moment in time in which the ground we own is valued at a premium, we have begun
to explore what options we may have that would best serve our mission to
inspire a love of ballet and dance in our community. This could mean
perhaps selling the property in order to support a relocation to a facility
more suited to our present day needs, it could mean developing the property
with the goal of Oregon Ballet Theatre becoming the anchor tenant in a
multi-use building at this same location. We have been overwhelmed by the
amount of interest in the parcel of land that we own. We are, however, at
the very initial stages of this exploration, so it would be a big mistake to
assume that any decisions have been made. The decision to perhaps take advantage
of this opportunity will not be taken lightly, nor without proper due
diligence.
All we can say now is that we are in the enviable position
of owning an asset that is highly prized and that may potentially be
"traded in" for something even more valuable: a home that
reflects the investment we are making every day in the value that Oregon Ballet
Theatre has to offer to the community.
Please feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts on
this -
Warmly,
Kevin
Kevin Irving
Artistic Director
OREGONBALLETTHEATRE
