Opinions about the location of a new Performing Arts Center have been published for several months. One fact that has not been discussed much is that Recreation Centers of Sun City Clubs lose use of RCSC facilities to outside groups so a rental fee can be collected.
Sundial Auditorium is a heavily used facility by large active clubs that include line dancing, Next Gen, Sundial Men’s Club Bingo, Country Dancing and Rock Through the Years, which averages 250 members every second, fourth and fifth Saturday.
RTTY members would like to meet on their reserved days, but cannot on Feb. 22, and April 12 and 18. Four months into 2025 and the club has lost 33% of its designated meeting dates.
There is never space for RTTY the weekend after Thanksgiving, as Sundial is reserved for the fabulous arts and crafts festival. That is accepted as it is an RCSC event, but if you added four to five plays a year and piano recitals on weekends, these clubs would never meet as desired.
The question for me is, how many other RCSC Clubs are affected by renting space to outside groups? RTTY has had dances marred by competing music blaring from the rented space behind the thin partition wall. If the board wants income from these spaces, at least specify no music.
Locating PAC at Sundial, with retractable seating, will take away precious space already needed by groups like RTTY and two other clubs that worked together so 750 people could enjoy New Year’s Eve at Sundial or the 750 at Wednesday night concerts.
PAC practices and performances will only push other RCSC Clubs out of the facility. PAC belongs at Mountain View. RCSC should stop wasting money on architects, poorly written surveys and renting facilities to outside groups on days dedicated to RCSC Clubs.
If you want to give value to these spaces, consider that the average 250 RTTY members paid RCSC dues averaging $500 each and going up, or $125,000 a year or $5,000 per night if they could dance 24 Saturday nights a year. What do outside rentals bring in and who is enjoying our facilities?
Editor’s note: This writer is using a pen name. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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