A nonprofit group dedicated to promoting the arts will select a consultant next week to help determine donor capacity and the level of support in the community for a proposed $40 million performing arts and event center in Oak Harbor.

Oak Harbor Creative Arts Foundation accepted proposals from contractors until Monday for the “phase one feasibility study.” The board received six total proposals from prospective contractors, according to board President Cynthia Mason. The budget for the feasibility study is capped at $35,000, which covers consultant fees, travel, materials and other related costs, the foundation’s website states.

The Oak Harbor Creative Arts Foundation was formed in 2021. Opening up a performing arts center in Oak Harbor is the first of two initiatives the Oak Harbor Creative Arts Foundation board hopes to accomplish in the coming years. The second initiative is to create a “makers space” on North Whidbey.

“I value the arts because I think it’s a really important human expression,” Mason told the News-Times. “I think it is a really great way to not only foster up and coming artists and adults that need expression, but also, I think it plays a key role into the wheel of economics for a city.”

Board Secretary Lisa Sanchez similarly emphasized the value of a center to connect the Oak Harbor community and bring people together through shared experiences.

“Our community has incredible local talent — from students and musicians to theater groups and cultural performers — but we don’t currently have a place that truly showcases or supports them,” Sanchez said in an email.

While no final location has been identified for the facility, Mason said, the purpose of the feasibility study is to determine whether the community and local donors are ready and able to support a 500-seat multi-use building for the performing arts center.

The firm or consultant contracted for the project will have several key tasks to help determine donor capacity and community interest, Mason said. The consultants will interview local stakeholders —such as business owners, civic leaders, artists, teachers and residents — to gather opinions and insights. They will also analyze local and regional data to assess the area’s fundraising potential. Another important part of the study will include facilitating a community engagement component, including conducting surveys or promoting the project to the city council.

The results will guide future decisions, such as whether to move forward with fundraising campaigns, site development and long-term planning, Mason explained. At the end of the process, the consultant will provide a written report that includes research findings, recommendations and suggestions for next steps. The report will be presented to the Oak Harbor Creative Arts Foundation board to help them decide how to proceed with the project.

The $40 million dollar project is a lot of money, Mason admitted, but the estimated construction cost came off of price tags of some of the state’s recently built structures, like Port Angeles’s Field Arts and Events Center and McIntyre Hall Performing Arts & Conference Center in Mount Vernon.

“A dedicated space for the arts would not only give people a stage to share their work,” Sanchez said. “It would also create opportunities for learning, collaborative creative connections and community pride.”

Mason said the desire for this space is a shared interest among Whidbey residents.

“We believe that we have a community base here that sees the importance of the arts, both for the health and economic benefits of Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island as a whole,” Mason said.

For more information about the performing arts center, contact Mason at president@ohcaf.org.