SPRINGDALE — Officials at the Arts Center of the Ozarks plan to pursue a restructuring that could result in some positions being eliminated, center officials said Wednesday.
The goal is to expand offerings, said Derek Gibson, treasurer of the center's board of directors. Officials are now forming a transition team, said Tareneh Manning, president of the board.
They intend to evaluate the center's operations and find a good structure, Gibson said. No positions have been lost so far, Manning said.
The process will include strategic planning and professional consulting, Gibson said. The center will remain open during the changes, Manning said.
"We are absolutely not shutting the doors," she said.
Kathi and Harry Blundell, the longtime leaders of the center, announced early this year that they would retire during the 2016-2017 season.
Downtown revitalization efforts triggered the move, Manning said. Gibson referenced the Downtown Springdale Master Plan that City Council approved in December.
The center sits at 214 S. Main St., which is within the downtown boundaries. The boundaries of downtown in the master plan are Quandt Avenue and Caudle Avenue to the south, Huntsville Avenue to the north, Thompson Street to the west and Old Missouri Road to the east.
He said that every organization in the community needs to look at how they can contribute to the initiative set forth in the master plan.
"It takes a community to pull off an initiative like this," he said.