Laura BogomonlyScaling The Big Apple Circus
During the 2007-08 academic year, I had the opportunity, thanks to the SEP’s Non-Profit Board Leadership Program, to volunteer with the Big Apple Circus. I had such a positive experience that, when the year came to an end, I wanted to keep working with the organization.
Lucky for me, the Executive Director of the Big Apple Circus had just begun considering an exciting new project and was looking for somebody to help him figure out the details. I jumped at the chance faster than a lion through a burning hoop. It’s a pleasure to be working alongside the Big Apple Circus staff now, and getting to know the operational side of the organization too.
Founded in 1977 by Columbia Business School graduate Paul Binder and his friend Michael Christensen, the Big Apple Circus has been thrilling audiences for over thirty years. The Big Apple Circus also takes care of its community: its Clown Care Unit sends entertainers into children’s hospital wards; its after-school program teaches circus arts to inner-city school children; it holds a specially designed free performance for kids with vision or hearing disabilities; and more than 50,000 free and discounted tickets are distributed to economically and/or physically challenged children every year.
My project is a real estate development feasibility study - determining what it would take to build a Big Apple Circus theater on Governors Island (a 172-acre parcel of land just off the southern tip of Manhattan accessible only by ferry) and to run a summer circus festival on the site. The vision also includes a summer circus camp for underprivileged kids. I’m talking to partners, funders and government agencies, working on a budget, and assessing the financial viability of the initiative. The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation likely wants a performance venue accessible to the public built on the island by the 2009 summer season. Basically, I’m trying to figure out: What does this really quick turnaround require?
The project itself is a tremendous challenge. Having visited Governors Island during my first week on the job, I saw the beauty of the island and the promise it holds but also the obstacles we face in transforming it into a popular destination. In this “real world” situation, it feels good to be able to put to use the skills I acquired while I was an MBA student in order to promote the Big Apple Circus and the well-being of New York City.
Journal 2:
On July 14th, Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation) asked Big Apple Circus to submit a Proposal for an Outdoor Entertainment and Dining Facility on Governors Island, New York City – just what my team and I had been waiting for!
Now that we’ve got the request in hand, we can turn our preliminary planning into a Request For Proposal response that reflects our grand vision of transforming Governors Island into a popular cultural and performing arts destination, while simultaneously addressing all of GIPEC’s questions and concerns. To that end, I’ve been working with the architects, construction professionals, restaurant consultants, and lobbyists engaged in this project by the Big Apple Circus. I’m also having conversations with other arts organizations that may be interested in partnering and performing at Governors Island. We’re positioning a circus summer camp for disadvantaged youth as a complement to our initiative. And, finally, we’re working out the numbers – how much will this project cost, and who will fund it?
There’s a lot of excitement around this project, and a lot of questions too. We’ve got some celebrity power on our side – David Rockwell’s architecture firm is designing the structure, restaurateur Danny Meyer may be interested in opening another Shake Shack as part of our plan, and arts groups like the Royal Shakespeare Company have expressed interest. But, like any real estate project in New York City, the initiative is fraught with uncertainty. Stay tuned!
This summer, I’ve learned that working alongside individuals who have high hopes and bold visions for the future of this city is not just educational – it’s inspiring.
Journal 3:
On the morning of the last Wednesday in July, I boarded the ferry to Governors Island. Along with myself and the 11 other people from the Big Apple Circus Governors Island Project Team, the boat carried dozens of others from other organizations. From 9:15am to 10:45am we all participated in the site visit and pre-bid conference associated with the Governors Island Outdoor Entertainment and Dining Facility RFP.
The event was an opportunity for us to check out our competition, as well as get a better understanding of exactly how we could help improve and enliven Governors Island for the people of New York and for tourists. Beyond big picture thinking, we talked details: square footage, electricity and water access, security, transportation, opening hours. By the time the conference had ended, many of our initial questions had been answered, but we had growing list of new questions. I spent the rest of the week gathering all of our queries into a single document, and submitting it to GIPEC by the August 4, 2008, 5pm deadline. The answers will be posted publicly on the GIPEC website on August 11th, and will help our team put shape our final RFP response.
My Summer Fellowship with the Big Apple Circus ended earlier this week. I’m sad that I won’t be there to see the proposal through to its final incarnation, but I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to work closely with BAC this summer on such an exciting project. Moreover, I know I will remain connected with BAC in the future. I’m already planning a fundraiser night out at the circus for all my friends this fall!
