Legacy, City
discuss reopening
Ambassador Auditorium

By Thomas C. Hanson

PASADENA—Legacy Partners, the proposed developer for the headquarters site, invited area residents to the Ambassador Auditorium Nov. 8 to announce plans to reopen the facility to performing arts by 2004.

The Auditorium closed as a performing arts location in 1995.

To reopen the Auditorium, Legacy is seeking approval from the City of Pasadena to form a community facilities district that will allow Legacy to give the Auditorium to the City of Pasadena. The city would then issue a bond with the sources of repayment coming from a tax placed on each parcel of the 48-acre property. Only residents of the property would be assessed this tax.

The proposal must be approved by the City Council, which is expected to make its decision early next year.

Legacy plans to have 1,727 housing units on the property. In addition to the Auditorium, most of the historic buildings will be retained and adapted for housing. The historic gardens and stream will also be preserved.

Legacy has been working with Pasadena citizens to form the Ambassador Hall board of directors. The board is committed to bringing back world class entertainment to the Auditorium. The board is preparing to create an endowment to cover the operating expenses of the Auditorium.

At the Nov. 8 event, about 350 residents watched performances by the Alkabu-lan Boys Choir, mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzman and pianist Vitaly Margulis. The master of ceremonies was Alice Coulombe, president of the Ambassador Hall board of directors.

Speakers were Bill Bogaard, mayor of Pasadena; Pastor General Joseph Tkach; and Bill Shubin, senior vice president of Legacy Partners. Attendees also watched a video about the Auditorium produced by Ross Jutsum, former chair of the Ambassador Music Department, and Dick Quincer, formerly of the Ambassador Television Department. Michael York was narrator.

Legacy paid tribute to those who made the Auditorium possible by including this in the program: "We wish to thank all the many thousands of people who, over the years, gave to the Worldwide Church of God and the Ambassador Foundation to create this remarkable building—an enduring cultural legacy for the community."

Bill Shubin, senior vice president of Legacy Partners.

Pastor General Joseph Tkach

Pianist Vitaly Margulis

Ambassador reception [Photos by Thomas C. Hanson]

The Alkabu-lan Boys Choir

Bill Bogaard, mayor of Pasadena

Alice Coulombe, president of the Ambassador Hall board of directors.

Mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzman and Paul Floyd.

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2001