by Joe Tarr
UT Might Pull Plug
A chance for the University of Tennessee to create an arts, music and theater center in Market Square may be slipping away, unless the school's administration makes a decision soon.
And UT's architectural urban design studio—opened early this year in the square's Watson's building to much fanfare—may have to move out of the space at the end of the year.
The architectural department has been using the building rent-free. The hope among academics at the university was to eventually have a formal lease on the space, and expand it to bring other departments over there.
A proposal drafted by the art, theater and music departments calls for UT to have instructional, performance, studio, gallery and practice space for those studies in the remainder of the building. Exhibits and performances inside would be easily accessible to the public.
"It's important for our students to be exposed to a larger audience," says Norm Magden, head of the art department. "It's mostly for the benefit of the students."
Magden adds that the university needs to have a stronger presence in the community: "We believe the university needs to be right in the middle of things as part of the initiative to remodel the city. The arts are one of the best ways for an institution to enter into the community."
Magden says it's unclear where the proposal stands or who will have the final say. "It seemed to not engender the same excitement when it got up to the higher levels of university administration. Right now, I'm not really sure where it is."
"There may have been a misunderstanding of how much remodeling is needed. It was not major," Magden says.
Phil Scheurer, vice chancellor for academic affairs, says the proposal is still being reviewed. "[The idea] really got to a proportion that really was unmanageable. The rental costs and what have you were well beyond what I think we can manage."
In order for UT to move ahead, the chancellor and the school's building commission would both have to approve it. It may also have to go through a competitive bid process, Scheurer says. A decision will probably be made over Christmas break, he adds.
David Dewhirst, the building's owner, says he'd be willing to continue offering the space rent-free for a while longer, but he needs a commitment from the university that it wants a long-term agreement.
"Obviously, [offering it free] is not something I can do forever," he says. "The building's got to be rehabbed to some extent and I need to start that process if UT's not going to take that space. If UT can't decide or is unwilling to decide, I need to get the whole space back so I can start rehabbing it."
Dewhirst says that UT is his first choice for a tenant because a strong university presence would go a long way toward revitalizing downtown, and because the school "may not be a high-paying tenant, but they're a stable tenant."
Mark Schimmenti, a UT architecture professor who was instrumental in getting the urban design studio in Watson's, says he doesn't want to take advantage of Dewhirst's generosity. "You can only stay at a friend's house until you find your own place to stay. I feel like I'm overextending my welcome.
"It'd be tough to beat the deal that [Dewhirst] is putting out there. The thing is all these processes take time. I think the university sometimes misses out on things because of its inability to act quickly."
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