Survey shows little support for Geneva arts center

Geneva doesn’t want a cultural arts center. Not while the economy is bad, not with taxpayer dollars, and not in a new building.

That’s the conclusion from a cultural needs assessment the city conducted. It asked about a cultural center, plus questions about what cultural activities residents attend, what they want, and what they know about cultural activities in Geneva. The results were released Friday, and the city council discussed them Monday night.

Fifty-one percent of respondents were undecided on the city having a cultural arts center, 28 percent were in favor and 21 percent were opposed.

And 23 percent were willing to donate to the cause.

Of those who answered the question about how Geneva should come up with a center, only 6 percent thought anybody should build one.

“There is no question about it. ... That answers the question for a long time to come,” said David Emanuelson of Public Research Group, which conducted the assessment.

The survey was conducted in January and February. Four thousand surveys were mailed, with 451 returned. Thirty-seven people took the survey online. Surveyors also called 104 people, for a total of 592 responses. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent. Seventy percent of the respondents were female. The average respondent had lived in Geneva at least 15 years, and the average age was 55.4 years. People under age 18 were not surveyed.

“Despite strong support and satisfaction for the arts in Geneva, the survey showed residents will travel elsewhere when a need is not met,” wrote Paul Evans, business development specialist for the city and its staff liaison to the Cultural Arts Commission.

Not everybody answered every question.

Thirty-four percent favored renovating an existing space. And if it does, the most popular amenity chosen was a theater, by 46 percent who answered that question.

As for paying for it with private dollars: Asked how much they would be willing to donate, 44 percent marked “unsure,” followed by the lowest amount, “$100 to $500,” at 23 percent. Nobody marked “$5,000 or more.”

Respondents did say they either didn’t know about cultural opportunities already offered in Geneva, or that more options are needed. Members of a focus group called together to discuss the survey suggested that the Cultural Arts Commission may be too busy organizing and running events, and that the city should consider adding a worker to take on some of those duties so the commission can focus on the bigger picture.

Some respondents said they didn’t know about some of the events offered in Geneva. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they got their information about such items from newspapers.

The survey also asked what events they attended and what museums and other places they visited throughout the Chicago area.

Space was also left for comments. Among them were suggestions of renovating various spaces, including the empty bank building at Third and State streets, or the post office.

Several said they didn’t think Geneva needed a center, due to the proximity of places such as Pheasant Run Resort’s theater and the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles, plus other theaters in the Western suburbs.

“Because Norris Center exists, it probably means another center doesn’t need to exist in this area,” Emanuelson said.