In the fall of 2019, the Poway Unified School District expressed an interest in acquiring the Poway Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA) which sits on district- owned property on Espola Road adjacent to Poway High School. Facing serious budget concerns and the City’s ability to fund the center’s operating expenses, City Council considered a staff report on several PCPA operational options, including selling or closing the center. Council also heard vehement public opposition to losing the center at a community workshop.
Since then, council members Dave Grosch and Barry Leonard have led efforts to ensure that the facility remains City-owned and a subcommittee was formed last July to explore ways to keep PCPA a viable venue for the arts in the area. Grosch and Leonard continue to meet with stakeholders and community members to discuss ideas for improving access and programming of events, as well as funding considerations. A public workshop is tentatively scheduled for March 2021.