During the 85 percent Design Development sessions, City Council-approved public artists presented their initial concepts for the integration of art into the project. Ramona Sakiestewa (New Mexico), Ned Kahn (California), and the team of Mayme Kratz (Arizona) and Mark Ryan (California) will work with the design team to develop art opportunities throughout the project. Potential sites for artist involvement include, but are not limited to, carpet and tile patterning, a monumental lobby fireplace/fire feature, and an intriguing art application in the TCA’s reflecting pool. The artists’ concepts are due to be finalized by early November 2002.

Barton Myers Associates, Inc. and ARCHITEKTON will move forward to complete Design Development of the project and begin the 16-month construction document phase by November 2002. The $63 million dollar project (including the TCA and its 24-acre site) continues to meet its budget target through continuous value engineering and careful planning of all aspects of the project.

The TCA, to be located at 700 West Rio Salado Parkway, will house a 600-seat proscenium theater, a 200-seat studio theater, 3500 square feet of gallery exhibition space and a finely appointed multi-purpose room. It will provide performance space for several Tempe organizations including Childsplay, Tempe Little Theatre, the Tempe Symphony Orchestra, the Tempe Community Chorus, A. Ludwig Dance and many other performance organizations.