Battle brewing over Burnsville arts center

At Burnsville City Hall, some officials have been privately seething over what they say is opponents' published misinformation about the cost of the new arts center and a much bigger undertaking, the Heart of the City redevelopment.

The Burnsville Performing Arts Center, slated to be built by next fall for $20 million, is the final piece of a $150 million redevelopment of a once blighted area, now known as Heart of the City. Officials say it's already increased the city's tax base and will continue to do so.

But intense controversy over this public spending is led by a grassroots website group called "No PerformingArtsCenter.com." Some worry about how much the Performing Arts Center might truly cost taxpayers in the long run, including for day-to-day operations.

"If the city spends tax dollars, we pay," said Burnsville resident Vicky Loher, who is active in the No PerformingArtsCenter.com group.

The economic growth committee of the City Council is discussing whether to start a campaign that would tout the success of Heart of the City after criticism of public spending for the arts center and a parking deck. City officials say no new property taxes will be levied for the center or parking deck.

Officials want to counter what they see as misinformation on the group's website, in letters to the editors and in news articles.

Skip Nienhaus, the economic development coordinator for Burnsville, said Tuesday evening that the concern has been discussed by the committee but isn't yet ready for council action.

For Loher, there are new questions about how much the council might spend to polish up the image of Heart of the City. The group's website has already issued a call for candidates to run against Mayor Elizabeth Kautz and Council Members Dan Gustafson and Liz Workman.

The 54-acre Heart of the City redevelopment generally around Nicollet Avenue, north of Burnsville Parkway, is a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly downtown area for Burnsville, built mostly with private money. Though skeptics such as Loher say that too much office and restaurant space remains vacant, city officials say the project continues to build out.

Now under construction is a community arts and conference center at the west end of the new Nicollet Commons Park, and plans call for a 250-space parking deck to be built by the city for $3.5 million to $4.5 million.

Among the news that supporters want to get out about Heart of the City is that at full development, the area will generate $3 million to $4 million in property taxes annually, compared with the $200,000 it brought in before the development.

In the past 10 years, Burnsville has leveraged more than $25 million in grants and financial awards, and a significant portion of that has gone to help establish Heart of the City, said Jim Skelly, a city spokesman.