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California Center for the Arts, Escondido faces uncertain future

The City of Escondido has begun a ‘Request for Proposals,’ for the California Center for the Arts which could change the center's management.

ESCONDIDO, Calif. — For about 30 years, the California Center for the Arts Foundation has created annual events like El dia De Los Muertos Festival, Música en la Plaza and Winter Wonderland. 

A Request for Proposals by the City of Escondido could change the way it is managed. 

“The city of Escondido has put on a proposal for anyone really to come in request to manage our buildings. So that would mean the foundation who has been here for the past 30 years would no longer be managing the center,” California Center for the Arts Escondido Marketing Communications Manager Candice Cleland said. 

The City of Escondido is inviting companies and organizations to provide programming, operation and management services to the California Center for the Arts. The City’s website states it would maximize community benefit and minimize financial subsidy requirements from the city. 

“My main concern is that the RFP doesn't really draft anything concrete for anybody taking over the center so that means that no one has any obligations to do any community events or maybe do any of these program outreaches,” Cleland said. 

On Tuesday, the foundation hosted a town hall where residents asked questions and shared their input. The foundation is taking the community’s input received and will submit those ideas in a proposal to the city. 

"It's so important for us if we're going to stay here managing the center that we are listening to our community and what they want," Cleland said. 

Entities have until January to submit their proposal for the California Center for the Arts. 

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