By Alicia Fabbre | Daily Herald
Crystal Lake’s Raue Center for the Arts is looking into the possibility of branching out into East Dundee.
Raue Center Executive Director Richard Kuranda made his first public pitch to East Dundee trustees Monday. Village officials have been exploring a potential partnership with the Raue Center for the Arts for more than a year, Village Administrator Erika Storlie said.
“It presents a very exciting economic opportunity and also a very exciting opportunity for the community to participate in the performing arts,” Storlie said.
Last year, the village closed on a former lumberyard in the downtown district on Railroad Street. The 2-acre property, which the village bought for $800,000, could house a mixed-use development anchored by a performing arts center, officials said.
Discussions are still in the early stages, and Kuranda said the center has other potential locations it is considering. East Dundee, however, is a “top priority,” he said Tuesday.
At Monday’s meeting, Kuranda told trustees he would envision a 250- to 350-seat theater with the potential for outdoor performances in the downtown district, which includes the Dundee Depot, a popular spot for the village’s outdoor summer events. The center hopes to have a new theater open within the next four to five years.
“It seems to be an incredible opportunity,” Kuranda said of the possibility of expanding into East Dundee. “We’re hopeful that this is the start of a wonderful dialogue that will lead to fruition.”
Kuranda Tuesday said the center has a grant to expand and bring the arts to other communities. However, he declined to elaborate about the grant or the amount of the award.
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I’ve always thought Barrington Hills was missing an opportunity by not considering a potential for an outdoor theatre, a la Ravinia, maybe a field for soccer or a diamond for baseball/softball. Why is the Park Dist dedicated just to equestrian space? Couldn’t those areas be used for some activities that speak to a greater percentage of the residents paying for it’s upkeep in their tax bills?
The notion we have a park district is a myth. It’s riding club only.