John Schreiber Highlights NJPAC's Community Impact

Steve Adubato talks with John Schreiber, President and CEO of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, about how NJPAC continues to have a positive impact on the city of Newark. Mr. Schreiber also shares some of the programs the arts center offers that are meant to educate and enhance the community.

12/5/16 #1926

Excerpt:

"Welcome to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center where once again, we come back by popular demand. [laughter] We're here with our good friend... What are you laughing about? It's true! ...with our good friend, John Schreiber, president and chief executive officer of the great New Jersey Performing Arts Center. How you doing buddy? Good. How are you? I'm doing great. Right. We we're getting off another run here. See, that's a run. We're coming back. This is our twenty eighth season? What, how many? [laughter] No, I just... How long have we been doing this? Don't... see, you're saying it feels like that is what you're implying. No no. Not at all. So listen, talk about some of the great things happening at NJPAC. We're kicking this off in December of 2016. It'll run after that as well. Best things happening down here? Well, right across the street, we are building a twenty two story residential tower. It'll be the first luxury housing, ground up, in Newark, in seventy years. 245 units. And we think it's gonna be transformational for the neighborhood. What impact? Well, I mean, Newark is now, you know, evolving into a 24/7 live, work, play, destination. And our building the Hanes Building, with 160 units, and the Whole Foods on the ground floor, and Rutgers School of Art and Design going in there. Back of us, on Rector Street, there's another twenty story tower being built. So there'll be thousands of new residents in the downtown. You know, within the next two to five years. Very exciting. You know what John? You and I have had this conversation offline, as well as on the air, over the last couple of years. Mm hmm. The role of the Arts Center. You know, the arts, culture, incredible performances here, very loyal folks come here to see all kinds of performances, but then the part that has to do with economic development, explain that to folks. If someone says "What's the Arts Center doing involved in that?" You say? Well, the arts are a tremendous economic driver. You know, for every dollar somebody spends on a ticket to a performance, you know, there's a four dollar return in terms of other monies that are spent, you know, in the market. So whether it's parking, or food, or you know, other experiences that folks have, you know, we have over 425,000 people who came to the Arts Center last season. Alright. That's a good number of folks. I would say probably twice as many people went to the Prudential Arena to see sporting events, and to see concerts there..."