The Walt Disney Concert Hall was always a mission in search of a donor. Show me the money, the phantom project always seemed to be saying.
The $50 million put up a decade ago by the cartoon tycoon's widow, Lillian Disney, was by far the largest single contribution to the proposed $265 million auditorium in downtown Los Angeles. Other donations came in dribs and drabs.
On Wednesday, however, project organizers announced gifts of $5 million each from the Ahmanson Foundation, the Weingart Foundation and an anonymous donor. Another $10 million or so came from various other sources. The gifts have secured the $25 million promised last Dec. 1 by the Disney Co. on the condition that project organizers raise a like amount elsewhere.
The concert hall, designed by Frank Gehry, now has about $240 million in the kitty, including $65 million from the Disney family, spokesman Josh Gertler said. A funding gap of about $24 million remains.
"1997 was a watershed year for the Disney Hall project, and the gifts from the Ahmanson and Weingart foundations are a great way to kick off 1998," said Eli Broad, chairman of Disney Hall's oversight board, the CEO of SunAmerica and a major donor to the project.
In addition to its $5 million grant to Disney Hall, the Ahmanson Foundation approved a gift of $2.5 million for the beautification of the Music Center, across the street from the proposed auditorium.
"The Music Center is eternally grateful to the Ahmanson and Weingart foundations for their generosity," said Andrea Van de Kamp, chairwoman of the Music Center. "We are now just a stone's throw away from completing this project."
Wednesday's announcements were made during a news conference in the center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion that was attended by Mayor Richard Riordan (who earlier gave $5 million toward the hall), county supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and John F. Cooke, Disney exec VP for corporate affairs.
Other gifts to Disney Hall that complete the $25 million challenge grant include a previously announced $5 million from Roy E. Disney -- Walt Disney's nephew and chairman of the Disney board -- and his wife, Patty; $1 million from William Brady III; $1 million from KPMG Peat Marwick; $1 million from the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee; and $250,000 from Philharmonic Affiliates.
In addition, gifts contributing to the match were received from Norma Baker Krueger; Northrop Grumman; Union Bank of California Foundation; Ticketmaster of Southern California and others.
"This is a triumphant day for the music-loving citizens of Los Angeles and Southern California," Disney chairman Michael D. Eisner said in a statement released by his office. "The Walt Disney Co., and Roy and Patty Disney, are proud to be part of this great effort and pleased that our challenge helped rally the community."
Other gifts to Disney Hall received before the challenge grant and not previously announced came from the California Community Foundation; Ed and Nadine Carson; Kent and Joyce Kresa; Ginny Mancini; Litton Industries; Ron Arnault; Fred Roberts; Southern California Edison; Occidental Petroleum; and Avery Dennison.
The concert hall will be the fourth venue of the Music Center complex, and will free up valuable performance and rehearsal space in the Chandler Pavilion. Disney Hall will serve as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and is expected to increase Music Center audiences by 65%, from 1.1 million to 1.7 million annually.
Construction of the 2,350-seat hall could start later this year, with the opening expected in time for the Philharmonic season in 2001.
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