RSSThe Seasons hopes to clear a hurdle
Performance hall works toward nonprofit, self-sustaining statusYakima Herald-Republic
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- One of Yakima's newer arts venues that's been severely affected by the economic downturn is The Seasons.
This week, the downtown performance hall hopes to clear yet another hurdle of red tape in the ongoing effort at becoming a fully nonprofit organization that's also self-sustaining.
Seasons board president Pat Strosahl is positive the deeds and forms necessary to turn the Italian Renaissance-style building over to the nonprofit Seasons Music Festival organization will be done in time to meet a Wednesday deadline.
The transfer of ownership to a nonprofit from Strosahl's family business, United Builders of Washington, is necessary for The Seasons to receive $250,000 in hotel room tax money it needs to repay a bridge loan from the Yakima City Council.
"It turned out a lot more complicated than I thought it would be," Strosahl said Monday about transferring ownership.
"But that's The Seasons' way," he added with a chuckle.
The financial and bureaucratic woes of The Seasons are nothing new for this well-intentioned-idea-turned-money-pit.
Hosting top-notch names in jazz and classical music, The Seasons is a labor of love by the Strosahl family, which through United Builders purchased this former the Church of Christ, Scientist church in 2005 with the intent of renovating it and then turning it over to the Seasons Music Festival, the nonprofit organization that would call the venue home and book its concerts.
The plan was, and still is, the main hall -- under the dome ceiling that gives off magnificent acoustics -- will be the nonprofit music venue, while the old Sunday school room in the back will become a money-making wine co-op and bistro.
Those renovations, however, proved more complicated and costly than anticipated, and with the recession leaving United Builders suffering itself, it could no longer foot the bill to revamp the building.
Problems came to a head in March, when the contractor who installed a required sprinkler system wouldn't meet with city officials to test the system until being paid the $100,000 he was due.
In April, the Yakima City Council approved an emergency $200,000 bridge loan for the sprinkler system and restroom upgrades. Strosahl intended to pay that money back with anticipated hotel and motel tax money geared to help tourism, but hit another roadblock when questions were raised about whether a privately owned building is eligible for the money.
By Wednesday, the nonprofit Seasons Music Festival should own the building, but only in the interim. Strosahl is in the process of setting up another nonprofit, tentatively called The Seasons Performance Hall Organization, that will then be given ownership of the building and will be responsible for the capital improvements.
When those are done and The Seasons starts generating money, ownership will go back to The Seasons Music Festival and the other nonprofit will be dissolved, Strosahl said.
"We don't want to burden (The Seasons Music Festival) with paying for the building renovations," explained Strosahl.
As for programing at the hall, "The Seasons is at a point where, without expanded support, it will drastically reduce the frequency and quality of programing ... ," stated a letter sent out by Strosahl asking for business and individual donations.
The response to the letter, as well as other fundraisers such as the recent Yakima's Got Talent contest, has been positive, said Strosahl.
The talent competition netted $9,000 for The Seasons.
"We met all of our goals ... but that doesn't mean we're going to stop asking," said Strosahl.
"It's been gratifying the outpouring of community support, even in a down economic year," he added.
"The transfer of ownership to a nonprofit from Strosahl's family business, United Builders of Washington, is necessary for The Seasons to receive $250,000 in hotel room tax money it needs to repay a bridge loan from the Yakima City Council.
"It turned out a lot more complicated than I thought it would be," Strosahl said Monday about transferring ownership.
"But that's The Seasons' way," he added with a chuckle."
The banks must have known how complicated it would be because they refused to loan the money. The city council members who approved of this loan should be held accountable if the loan is not paid back.
"The Seasons way" - Now that's funny! I guess banks don't work that way unless they're taking gov't handouts.
Report ViolationIf more local people would stay home and spend a few bucks HERE instead of going to the Gorge, or Seattle for their musical entertainment, maybe a few projects like this would become self-sustaining. Yakima seems to have trouble supporting any local venture - they want us to be the BIG city that we are not, I guess.
Report ViolationI love the music and the setting. It is hard to beat an intimate venue for jazz or classical music but after reading the background article i instinctively reached for my wallet to see if it was still there. I hate hustlers and being hustled but not as much as watching my city council being hustled. Entrepreneurs make this country great but let's have the courage to pay up when we guess wrong and reap the profits when we guess right. Grossly obese people should have the good sense to stay out of the public eye if they want to be taken seriously.
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