After 17 years of atrying,

local theater groups may soon get a home of their own if plans fall into

place to renovate the three-screen movie theater at Westpark Walk in Peachtree

City.

That would allow the theater

organizations to schedule productions at any time, compared to the limited

dates available for using school facilities, said Sandra Jungers, president

of the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts in Fayette County.

ECCA officials believe they

can make a performing arts theater profitable with the help of the city

of Peachtree City. The group is proposing that the city fund the lease

for the two or three years while the ECCA funds the costs of renovating

and operating the theater.

The hope is that after those

first few years, the building will be profitable enough to at least break

even, allowing the ECCA to take over the facility's lease, said Jungers.

"We think this is a very

viable project," Jungers said, noting that other counties surrounding

Fayette have their own performing arts centers and that is one criticism

of Fayette County: that plenty of money is spent on athletic recreation

and not on other recreational needs.

ECCA can't afford to renovate,

operate and fund the building's lease at the same time, Jungers said.

Renovation costs alone are being estimated at between $200,000 and $300,000.

That includes construction of the stages, adding dressing rooms, reconfiguring

the seats and adding sound and lighting equipment.

Two of the three existing movie

screening rooms would be combined for a theater with approximately 300

seats, leaving the third room for a smaller theater with about 100 seats,

Jungers said.

ECCA would start a county-wide

fund-raising campaign to help fund the renovations if the city decides

to go along with the group's idea.

ECCA has approached the city

about its request and the group is putting together its business plan

for the facility before appearing before City Council on the matter.

In the past, local theater

groups have used space at local schools: either Sams Auditorium or the

new auditorium at Starr's Mill High School. But the schools are using

those spaces often, leaving little time for area theater companies, Jungers

said, adding that the busy schedules in the schools shows that there has

been a need for such facilities.

Having a theater outside of

the school system would eliminate scheduling conflicts and allow ECCA

to offer more productions over the year, since it would have more flexibility

in scheduling, she said. This could help attract some of the plays that

will come to other local theaters, Jungers added.

"In order to attract quality

plays, directors, actors and actresses, we need to have our own home,"

Jungers said.

ECCA also plans to sell season

ticket sales for reserved seats, two features it hasn't been able to offer

before, Jungers said.

In addition to theatrical performances

from ECCA and other theater groups such as Fayette Community Theatre and

Offshoot Productions, the theater could also house other programs such

as ballets, piano recitals and small conferences, Jungers said. The building

could also host musical concerts of orchestras and jazz combos, she added.

"We want to have something

here every night," Jungers said.

The smaller theater also may

be used for children's productions perhaps in conjunction with the regular

productions the ECCA will schedule, Jungers said.

She added that the ECCA wants

to include everyone, even local fine arts groups, in the project. Perhaps

art could be displayed in the lobby for sale, with some of the proceeds

paying for theater operations, Jungers suggested.

Offering more local productions

will benefit the local economy, particularly in Westpark Walk, since there

are plenty of restaurants to eat at before attending a theatrical event,

Jungers noted.

ECCA has been actively looking

at other buildings throughout the county to renovate into a theater, including

some warehouses and retail space such as the former K-mart store in Fayetteville.

But the Westpark Walk location is the ECCA's best shot to get the theater

movement off the ground, Jungers added.

ECCA is a 17-year-old organization

that began with the goal of providing cultural activities for the community,

Jungers said. The group's first project was promoting the need for a library

in Peachtree City, she added. Since then, ECCA also has financially supported

Peachtree City's amphitheater.

Over the years, ECCA has raised

more than $200,000 in contributions and membership dues, Jungers said.

And that's mostly relying on one main fund-raiser: the yearly Valentine's

Day Ball.

If Peachtree City can assist

ECCA in the first year or two, it appears a local theater location will

be within the group's reach soon.

Jungers, for one, thinks Fayette

County is ready for its own theater house.