Atlanta Concert Hall Seeks Funds

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra recently received a $5 million donation from the Wachovia Foundation, but it still has a long way to go before reaching its $300 million goal to build a new concert hall.

The ASO has collected $103 million in its drive to build the futuristic 2,000-seat Atlanta Symphony Center. The building, which would also include a learning facility, was designed by award-winning Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

But the ASO is still waiting to hear from two key donors that could play a strong role in furthering the project: the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The ASO has requested a total of $100 million from the two; the state is reportedly still considering the request, while the city’s ability is questionable.

“The next two weeks are critical,” ASO’s Paul Hogle told the paper. “If it doesn’t happen then, we have to wait another year. The impact of waiting another year is that costs go up. The price of steel goes up.”

So far, the ASO has received $60 million in board contributions; $23 million in corporate support and $8.1 million in public support.

The ASO released an economic impact report in September that claimed the center would generate $2 billion through 2020, creating 2,100 jobs after construction and $116 million in tax revenue over the venue’s first decade, according to the Journal-Constitution.

An ASO spokesperson told Pollstar that the center’s opening obviously depends on fund-raising, but estimated it would take approximately two years to build.