Mayor Tom George compared the prospect of the Beck Center leaving Lakewood with the Browns abandoning Cleveland, ten years ago. George huddled with officials from Beck Center, the Lakewood Schools and Cox Communications to draw-up plans for what they're calling an "Arts and Communication Academy" - essentially creating an educational wing of Beck that would serve several western school districts. He noted that this partnership strategy is a confidence booster for funders.
Tom George: There's a lot of people who have a lot of confidence in Lakewood and they're willing to put dollars and their organizations on the line in proof.
But Beck Board Chair Fred Unger cautions that this still isn't a done deal.
Fred Unger: This decision is not based on the fact that we now have a lot of money to go ahead with this project. That's the hard work that's going to happen now - to figure out how to put together a financial plan to make it happen.
Unger said no financial incentives were offered to influence the Beck decision to stay. David C. Barnett, 90.3.