Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has strongly endorsed the idea of building a new "extraordinary piece of architecture" for downtown Sacramento.Watch report: New performing arts center for Sacramento?He said Sacramento is making good progress but, "what’s missing, in my opinion, is a brand new performing arts center."Speaking at a Sacramento Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday, Johnson said he favors a public-private partnership to build a replacement for the current Community Center Theater."Whatever it ends up costing, our new cultural center needs to be (ambitious), inspiring and breathtaking – an architectural symbol," he said.Johnson said other smaller cities have created centerpiece performing art centers, and Sacramento could, as well.A City Council-appointed task force is now studying the idea of replacing the 1970s-era Community Center Theater with its 2,400 seats.Officials said it does not meet all federal ADA requirements and would cost millions to renovate.Johnson said if a new theater is built in another location, the current site would be freed for the convention center's expansion.Although there are no drawings, cost projections or sites identified, the concept has supporters."We need it, when you look at the market," said Bill Blake, of the B Street Theater. “The Sacramento region is a market of over 2 million people. Are we saturated with performance spaces? We are certainly not."The task force will present its report next April.The report will address the need for a new center, where and how it could be built and at what cost.“It will require a bold mindset, a collective regional approach and a confident vision of our place among modern cities," Johnson said.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has strongly endorsed the idea of building a new "extraordinary piece of architecture" for downtown Sacramento.



Watch report: New performing arts center for Sacramento?


He said Sacramento is making good progress but, "what’s missing, in my opinion, is a brand new performing arts center."



Speaking at a Sacramento Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday, Johnson said he favors a public-private partnership to build a replacement for the current Community Center Theater.



"Whatever it ends up costing, our new cultural center needs to be (ambitious), inspiring and breathtaking – an architectural symbol," he said.



Johnson said other smaller cities have created centerpiece performing art centers, and Sacramento could, as well.



A City Council-appointed task force is now studying the idea of replacing the 1970s-era Community Center Theater with its 2,400 seats.



Officials said it does not meet all federal ADA requirements and would cost millions to renovate.



Johnson said if a new theater is built in another location, the current site would be freed for the convention center's expansion.



Although there are no drawings, cost projections or sites identified, the concept has supporters.



"We need it, when you look at the market," said Bill Blake, of the B Street Theater. “The Sacramento region is a market of over 2 million people. Are we saturated with performance spaces? We are certainly not."



The task force will present its report next April.



The report will address the need for a new center, where and how it could be built and at what cost.



“It will require a bold mindset, a collective regional approach and a confident vision of our place among modern cities," Johnson said.