Over the next year, community leaders, including school, village, township, foundation and business leaders, studied other performing arts venues.  They visited auditoriums in Franklin County, around Ohio and around the country.  In particular, they examined facilities which resulted from school/community collaborations.  Questions were asked, meetings were held and follow-up information was shared.

In addition, focus groups were held with various stakeholder groups in New Albany, including school drama, music and dance organizations as well as community groups such as the New Albany Arts Council, Ballet School, Broadway Bound Dance Centre and a number of not-for-profit organizations.   Again, needs were assessed, measured and prioritized.

After considerable research and exploration, it was determined that collaborations between schools and communities had been successful and that it was feasible for New Albany to build and endow a Community Performing Arts Center that could serve both school and community uses.  It is important to note that these focus groups and research gathering efforts yielded information that drove the programmatic design of the proposed facility.