Minneapolis seeks new partner to operate Cowles Center

The city of Minneapolis is looking for a new partner to bring dance back to the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts.

The center opened in 2011 but closed earlier this year due to financial troubles.

The city’s request for proposals says it’s looking for a nonprofit organization to lease, manage, operate and program the Cowles Center, at 516 Hennepin Av. It includes the Goodale Theater, which in April returned its keys to the city. The city holds a ground lease until 2059 from Artspace, which owns and operates the historic Hennepin Center for the Arts building next door.

To help fund the center’s design and renovation, the city accepted $12 million in state funds in 2006 and 2009, requiring the city to take an ownership interest with a ground lease.

The RFP says the city is looking for a nonprofit that meets the requirements of the state funding and “creates a world-class center for artistic expression and education with a focus on dance.”

City documents say the center could tap into a $550,000 grant for capital improvements the state authorized in 2019 to pay for an elevator, but which could be used to repair or replace other parts of the building.

The Cowles Center is named after the late Sage and John Cowles, whose family owned the Star Tribune. Sage Cowles was a dancer.

Proposals are due Jan. 30. The lease agreement will have to be approved by the state, Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey.