George Mason's New Arts Venue Finally Underway

Construction Begins On $60 Million Center

George Mason University officials made two announcements this week about the large and long-awaited arts venue planned for its Prince William campus: It is under construction and will be named the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

Scheduled to open in spring 2010, the $60 million facility will feature a reception space, an art gallery and two theaters, including the 1,166-seat Merchant Hall, modeled after a 19th-century European opera house.

"This building will have a transformational effect on our region," said Jean Kellogg, who will be the center's executive director. "It'll be a beautiful space."

The 86,000-square-foot center aims to provide a state-of-the-art setting for major acts and local performers while boosting Prince William County's image in the process.

"This is a great thing for the community," said Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large). "It's a symbol that Prince William County is coming of age, and it's also a symbol of how the county has changed and become more cosmopolitan and diverse."

The center will bring quality entertainment closer for residents reluctant to drive to the District, Stewart said. "There'll be more for people to do in the county," he added, calling it a sign that Prince William's "quality of life is continuing to improve."

Local groups such as the Manassas Ballet Theatre and the Prince William Symphony Orchestra are expected to use the space, as well as a broad range of other performers. Kellogg said the center will endeavor to attract young people and offer diverse performances -- including blues, bluegrass and rock -- as well as cultural events that will appeal to the county's large Latino community and foreign-born residents.

"We have an opportunity to bring the different cultures of our community into one space," Kellogg said. "It'll help them to understand each other."

And stunning acoustics will be a part of the experience, she added. Merchant Hall, the main performance venue, will be a soaring, horseshoe-shaped space with 1,166 seats on multiple levels, giving spectators an up-close view of performers. Inspired by Milan's famous opera house, La Scala, Merchant Hall's stage area will rise nine stories and adapt to fit a Broadway play or a full orchestra.

The theater is named for Manassas native and longtime booster Carol Merchant Kirby, who contributed $1 million. "We have nothing like this in Prince William or Manassas," said Merchant, whose family formerly owned the Merchant's Tire chain. "It'll be an economic boost, and it'll be an incentive for people to move to the community."

A second space at the center, the Gregory Family Theater, will accommodate 300 people and host dance, chamber music and smaller theatrical performances.

The Didlake Grand Foyer will be a reception hall designed to attract business exhibits, large meetings and private functions with a 10,000-square-foot space capable of hosting receptions for 600 people or dinners for 300. One level above it will be exhibition space, the Buchanan Partners Gallery, for local artists.

"There will be something for everyone," Kellogg said.

Funding for the center's $44 million construction comes from public and private sources, including the county, the university, the City of Manassas, state grants and private donations. The center has an ongoing campaign for a $15 million endowment to help with operating expenses; $9.8 million has been collected.

University officials said the facility's name recognizes its largest donation to date, a $5 million gift from the Cecil D. and Irene V. Hylton Foundation. The late Cecil D. Hylton is best known for developing much of Dale City. Several other sites in the county, including C.D. Hylton High School and the Hylton Education Center at Potomac Hospital, also bear the family name.