South Miami-Dade Cultural Center

The South Miami-Dade Cultural Center is conceived as a multidisciplinary center for the arts, and will serve as a showcase for the performing arts. Its 1,000 seat state-of-theart theater will include a fly tower, orchestra pit, front of house spaces (box office, lobby, restrooms, concessions, etc.), and back of house support spaces (dressing rooms, storage and work areas, administrative offices, etc.).

The South Miami-Dade Cultural Center has been conceptualized as a cultural "village" or "campus," taking into account the existing cultural facilities and related commercial activities in the area (e.g., the South Miami- Dade Regional Library and the Cutler Ridge Mall). The Center's site plan further emphasizes the concept by utilizing an outdoor plaza to connect its two distinctive buildings: a main theater and an activities building, which will be used for classrooms, rehearsals and small-scaled performances. The plaza itself will be the site of festivals, art shows, and other outdoor activities. This cultural village concept will help coordinate the Center's evolution with neighboring public and private sector development. It will encourage joint programming and marketing and will serve as a more powerful catalyst for the continued revitalization of the South Miami-Dade area.

Public participation has emphasized how important it is for this facility to serve as a vital force for community, cultural and economic development. The technical specifications of the South Miami-Dade Cultural Center guarantee that it will be a first-rate facility for artists, arts groups, audience members and the community. The Center is designed to be a facility truly unique in the Southeastern United States and one that will welcome people of all backgrounds and economic means.