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BACKGROUND In 1999, the City Council completed the Master Plan for the Downtown Parks and Trails System that anticipated the conversion of the existing Fire Station #1/Headquarters to a multi-use arts facility. This Master Plan was incorporated by reference in the Downtown Specific Plan that was adopted in 2002. The conversion of this facility was made possible by the fact that the City had begun design of a new Fire Station #1/Headquarters on Nevada Street and a new Fire Station # 4 on the Bernal Property. As part of its priority setting process, the City Council identified the fire station conversion as one of five significant priority capital projects. To initiate the conversion to a new Firehouse Arts Center, the Council approved an agreement with ELS to prepare a conceptual design plan to convert the vacant fire station to an arts center. After review by a community task force, the City Council approved the development, design, and funding for the Firehouse Arts Center in 2006. Since that time, ELS and staff have been finalizing the construction drawings and as indicated, the construction bid documents are currently being circulated in anticipation of construction bids being received on May 8, 2008. The Firehouse Arts Center (Firehouse) will create a venue for intimate programs in a small, flexible studio theater that will complement the current offerings at the Amador Theater. This venue is particularly advantageous for children's theater. The facility will also include two classrooms and an art gallery for instruction and exhibitions, respectively. The Firehouse is designed as a unique project that encompasses the arts, the environment, the community as well as its heritage. The refurbished facility will remove additions built in the 1960's and 1970's to reveal the historical structure and include improvements as follows: 1. Theater with flexible seating for 240 2. Art Gallery of approximately 2,000 square feet 3. 2 Arts Classrooms 4. Grand Lobby of approximately 1,350 sq. ft. 5. Offices in the upstairs area 6. Outside reception area and exterior landscaping In addition to the above, the new construction portion of the project is designed to include installation of solar panels, thus reinforcing the Council's commitment to ensuring that municipal facilities contribute to environmental sustainability and complying with the standards outlined in the City's Green Building Ordinance. Diagrams of the building are included as Attachments 4 and 5. The Firehouse Arts Center also represents apublic-private partnership between the City and Pleasanton Cultural Arts Foundation (PCAF), an independent 501 (c) (3) formed to supplement the significant funding the City of Pleasanton has allocated for this project. PCAF's short-term goal has been to secure $2 million in contributions and pledges before the project's groundbreaking in the summer of 2008. At this time, PCAF has $1.77 million in pledges and donations from community members, organizations, businesses and foundations. This figure includes the net proceeds of approximately $56,000 from the highly successful "Wonderful Evening of Oz" dinner/dance/auction Page 2 of 5