Opinion
Overture’s dark shadow
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Madison’s brand new Overture Center for the Arts is certainly deserving of applause. Throughout the first week of its 14-day opening festival, the $200 million center has been met with praise as hundreds and thousands of spectators take in the venue and its state-of-the-art amenities for the first time. Dedicated to fostering resident arts organizations as well as presenting a wide spectrum of high-quality performing arts programming, the venue is intent on advancing Madison’s status as an art community while also changing the face of the city.
If this first week has been any indication, the Overture Center is quickly creating a new dynamic on State Street. With spectators dressed in black-tie now traversing the blocks surrounding the center, dipping into their pockets to buy meals and drinks at nearby restaurants and bars, it is entirely evident the attraction is bringing a new crowd to an area that caters to students.
While the Capitol Square vicinity has always lured an older, more affluent crowd, it appears as though the Overture Center is carrying this segment of the city closer to campus. Such change is ultimately a threat to the affordability of student life surrounding State Street. Rents will rise and businesses will begin catering toward this wealthier faction. Students, we fear, will be all but cast out of a segment of the city all are to share.
To this point, the Overture Center has been able to keep ticket prices relatively affordable and we hope this is a trend that can continue. We applaud the center’s pledge to advancing Madison’s performing arts community, but at the same time we fear both the center and the city are forgetting that State Street is an area for everyone — maybe even students more than anyone else.
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What a self serving bunch of drivel. Are students ever concerned about "sharing" state street on Halloween, or any other Saturday night for that matter? Madison's downtown is different from other mid-sized cities and other college towns because of the marriage between the campus and downtown atmosphere. And for rents on campus, the $2,200 a month 3 bedrooms in new high rises that cater to affluent students are a far greater threat than an arts district will ever be.