AMS Planning & Research consulted for the Warren County Port Authority, the economic development arm of a fast-growing suburban county between Dayton and Cincinnati. Whereas both Dayton and Cincinnati have major performing arts centers with extensive programming, there was a general sense among civic and community leaders in Warren County that creating a performance venue might result in run-out performances by the major performing arts groups from the two large cities. Concurrently, a local community theater company expressed interest in developing a new cultural arts center and was granted a gift of land as part of a major retirement community development. Other county-based arts groups urged a comprehensive analysis of performing arts facility needs, resulting in a study that explored 1,200-, 800- and 350-seat options for performance venues.

Research included leadership interviews, a random sample public telephone survey (analyzed by geography, lifecycle, and past arts attendance patterns), model case studies with arts centers in similarly-sized and situated communities, market analysis, development of a building program, capital and operating cost estimates and management and governance recommendations. The final report recommended a 350-seat cultural arts center with the option of expanding to a mid-sized hall at some point in the future.