Public invited to help plan new arts center

For The Madera Tribune

The old Madera library is one of two buildings that will be converted for the new civic center.

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A series of public sessions to get community input about creation of a master plan for the civic center of Madera will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Madera South High School multipurpose cafeteria at Stadium Road and Pecan Avenue (705 W. Pecan Ave.).

The civic center in this case includes the old Madera Library at the corner of Yosemite Avenue and G Street. It also includes the former courthouse on Yosemite Avenue and G Street and parts of downtown.

The key plan is to construct a center for the arts that would serve not only the city and county, but would attract people from out of town for art exhibits and stage performances.

The Madera County Arts Council, the Madera City Council, the Madera County Board of Supervisors and the Madera Unified School District Board of Trustees have joined to pursue the plan.

The architects hired to develop the plan say they need public input on preferences for the center.