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Clear Vision Eau Claire has announced a public-private partnership for construction of a new community arts centre, commercial/retail complex and university student housing in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US.

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The facilities will be located at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers in Eau Claire. The Confluence project is planned to be build on the Haymarket Site. It is being acquired by Haymarket Concepts LLC and houses the Farmers Store and Market Square buildings bordering the downtown Haymarket parking lot.

The new community centre, spanning nearly 150,000 square feet, will serve the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council (ECRAC), community performing and fine arts organizations, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It is estimated to have a budget ranging between $50-55 million. It will accommodate three performance areas. They include a 1,200-seat theatre which will substitute downtown Eau Claire's aging State Theatre, a 450-seat theatre replacing University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s old Kjer Theatre, as well as a black box-style space with a seat capacity of 250. The flexible design of the performance spaces will facilitate different types of acts.

The centre will also sport scene and costume shops, dressing rooms and other back of house operations, as well as fine arts studios, gallery space and dance studio space. Among its other features include classrooms and rehearsal rooms, along with offices for ECRAC, community arts organizations and select university faculty and staff in the fine and performing arts. The facility will be operated by a collaboration of ECRAC, arts organizations and UW-Eau Claire.

The mixed-use project will lead to the creation of commercial and retail space, parking and apartment-style housing for about 300 university students. The mixed-use project is estimated to cost between $25-30 million. The housing will function as a living-learning community for upper-class music, theatre and art students.

There will be creation of a public plaza on the site of the Haymarket parking lot, and a bridge across the Eau Claire River which will be a liaison between the new plaza to Phoenix Park. Plans are also on for development of riverfront trails along the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers, and space adjacent to the trails for outdoor dining and different types of public events.

The mixed-use development and the community arts centre is due for completion by 2015 end and mid-2016 respectively. Site work is scheduled to commence by mid-2013.