ST. GEORGE — Last summer Utah Tech University announced a partnership with the Southern Utah Performing Arts Foundation to remodel the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center. On Thursday, foundation members met with the St. George City Council during a work meeting to solicit donations to help fill the nearly $3 million gap in funding still needed for the project.

Utah Tech and the foundation announced their partnership in May 2023 with the news a renovated Cox Performing Arts Center, also widely known as the Cox Auditorium, would become the new home of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and Southern Utah Heritage Choir, as well as host Utah Tech’s University Symphony, Symphonic Band and the “Celebrity Concert” series.

According to a press release, the remodel “will benefit the entire Southern Utah community with the goal of drawing world-class talent to Washington County, enhancing residents’ quality of life with culturally rich entertainment opportunities and making a positive economic impact on the region.”

“This partnership was a no-brainer,” said Alyce Gardner, president of the Southwest Symphony and arts foundation board member, adding that the renovations will make the Cox Auditorium “bigger and better.”

Planned renovations to the performing arts center include an expanded lobby and courtyard with multi-purpose and adaptable event and rehearsal space, some of which would be built on a second floor. The box office, restrooms, concessions and elevator will also be expanded and made in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, where needed. The green rooms, storage space, and emergency exits will also be improved.

Within the auditorium proper, seating will be redesigned to allow for a new aisle down the middle, while a balcony providing additional seating (as well as making up for seats lost to the new aisle) is also planned. Acoustic and technical components will be updated and modernized.

It is estimated that the remodeled auditorium will be able to seat over 1,200 people.

“It’s going to be a huge improvement, especially the new aisle,” St. George Mayor Michele Randall said as she joked about having to climb over people in the seating rows at the auditorium. “It’s going to be amazing.”

Anderson told the council the foundation has done a lot of work acquiring funding and preparing for the remodel.

Originally the remodel was projected to cost $40 million, but more recent estimates put that at $37 million, she said. The Utah Legislature covered the bulk of that funding with $28 million approved for the project. Additional funds come from public and private parties, including Washington County, which gave $1.3 million from tourism revenue earlier this month.

A funding gap of $2.7 million remains that Anderson’s group was hoping to get the city of St. George to donate.

The city is currently in the middle of preparing its 2024-25 budget, Randall said and noted that current requests from the city’s various departments put the town over budget by over $5 million. Currently, the council is in the process of whittling that down, so donations of any significant amount were unlikely, she said.

Councilwoman Dannielle Larkin asked if Recreation Arts and Parks taxes could be used for a donation to the project, but other council members said the portion of the RAP tax that goes to the arts is already small, and it was doubtful that the groups that apply for that funding would want to see it diverted elsewhere.

“That (RAP tax) keeps us afloat,” Anderson said. “It’s a big deal for smaller organizations.”

While the city may not be able to donate to the project for now, Randall suggested the city approach the county about funds needed for the Cox Auditorium remodel. The mayor said the county had pledged $10 million in tourism revenue to the university in 2020 for the remodel of the Greater Zion Stadium and felt it could put more money toward the auditorium’s renovation.

As efforts to close the funding gap continue, Anderson said people may begin to see work begin on the performing arts center remodel in the coming weeks. Once started, construction is estimated to take between 18-24 months.

“We’re really excited about this,” Anderson said.

Built in the 1980s, the Cox Auditorium was part of the original Dixie Center, which also included the Burns Arena and a convention center — now Smith’s Computer Center — on the college campus.

Funded in part by Washington County, the city of St. George, then-Dixie College and the Washington County School District, the project was a community effort and community members committed to the project’s success and the future of the city and its university.

Completed in 1986, the Cox Auditorium — funded in large part by Dr. Mervyn K. and Sue Cox — began to serve the community as a center for performing arts. About a decade after its completion, the university bought the entire Dixie Center and continued to use the Cox as a community arts hub.

Individuals and groups that wish to donate to the renovation project can do so through the Southern Utah Performing Arts Foundation website.

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