BLUE ASH — The city and Raymond Walters College officials will spend the summer drawing up plans to build a $10 million performing arts center on the University of Cincinnati's Blue Ash campus.

        With a unanimous showing of hands Thursday, council members asked City Manager Marvin Thompson and Raymond Walters dean Barbara Bardes to forge ahead with their hopes of bringing a 1,000-seat venue to the city.

        Council members had just heard Albert Pertalion, executive director of the Germantown Performing Arts Centre, talk about how successful the 824-seat venue outside Memphis, Tenn., continues to be.

        “Marvin and I are going to spend a lot of time together. Whatever we do, we have to be careful. We're going to work very hard,” Ms. Bardes said after the informal vote.

        She and Mr. Thompson will present a formal feasibility plan to council members and college officials by fall. The two have spent years talking about the need for a 1,000-seat venue, which would fill a void in Cincinnati's performing arts scene.

        Right now, larger venues like the Aronoff Center, Music Hall and Firstar Center seat more than 2,000. Smaller venues — like Southgate House in Newport, Ky. — seat about 650.

        Mr. Thompson and Ms. Bardes envision a performing arts center that would host dance, music and theater acts and one day become a second home to the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

        Steven Monder, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra president, can see the CSO performing a chamber series concert in the new center.

        “We always welcome the opportunity to expand our outreach efforts into the community and would welcome the opportunity to bring the talented musicians of the CSO to the community of Blue Ash,” he said.

        Susan Eiswerth, the Cincinnati Ballet's public relations manager, said that a smaller, 1,000-seat venue would be a unique setting.

        But, “a more intimate house makes it possible for an audience to feel completely enthralled. It's a great feeling for a live show,” she said. “All the arts organizations will be looking (at plans) attentively,” she said.

        Mr. Thompson and Ms. Bardes have talked tentatively of renovating and expanding a 500-seat theater in Muntz Hall and splitting the estimated $10 million cost.

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