“Starwood Studios would offer place for musical recitals, academic tutoring (Southlake Times)” plus 1 more

Starwood Studios would offer place for musical recitals, academic tutoring (Southlake Times)

Posted: 29 Mar 2010 11:01 PM PDT

Bill Conrad, bconrad@acnpapers.com

Starwood Studios, located at the Offices at Byron Nelson, may soon be open to the public if a zoning change request is approved by planning and zoning and the Southlake City Council.

The offices, located at 630 E. Southlake Blvd, mainly consist of office suites, according to Debra Edmondson, general counsel for the buildings owners, Thomas Steven and Company, who spoke at a SPIN No. 7 meeting March 22.

Starwood Studios was formed when a former tenant, the Southlake Training Center, moved out last summer. The 4,300-square-foot space was converted to Starwood Studios and is currently used by the buildings tenants for parties and recitals. If the zoning change is approved, the studio could be rented to the general public.

Edmondson was clear that the only changes to the building would be in its usage.

No changes will be made to the outside of the building or to the building's parking, said Edmondson. The only changes will be made to what is going on inside.

Starwood Studios would only operate after regular business hours and would have several uses such as after-school tutoring, seminars, office parties and receptions. The room features couches, big screen televisions and a DJ booth.

This would be a unique little space that Southlake really doesn't have, said Edmondson. We have been using this for our tenants, but this will allow us to offer it during the evening and weekend hours to the general public.

Edmondson said she believes the studios would have a capacity of 100-125 people, but that number could be adjusted in order to keep within the parking regulations.

Another tenant already in the building, Hall Music Productions, would also put the studio to good use.

David Hall, a Carroll High School graduate and owner of Hall Music Productions, said the studios would be a great addition to Southlake.

There are so many kids in Southlake that write songs and create music and they don't have any outlet for that whatsoever, said Hall. Having a night each week where the kids can get together and perform for the public would be really great for the community. The only outlet they have now is all the way in Dallas in places such as Deep Ellum. We need to give them a venue for their creativity.

Hall has been teaching music lessons for 10 years in Southlake and said he offers lessons in all musical areas, including guitar, drums, singing and songwriting.

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New North Miami PAL center offers more than sports (Miami Herald)

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 04:32 AM PDT

Across from a railroad track and tucked next to a mechanic shop, the North Miami Police Athletic League unveiled its new facility in March. A hybrid of a gym and tutoring center, the modest, 5,000-square-foot space is a unique partnership between PAL and a fitness -raining company.

The center will offer SAT and ACT tutoring, entrepreneurial development, and after-school athletic programs for students.

Community members can also enroll in fitness classes like yoga, pilates, and strength training for a charge.

Forty percent of all proceeds from the classes will go to PAL.

Like most nonprofits these days, funding for PAL remains a challenge, said police officers Willie Walden and James Stuart who lead the department's police athletic leagues.

Partnering with Reflections Fitness, the company that will run the gym and provide personal trainers, allows for an independent source of money to flow into the program, Walden said.

Currently, the city of North Miami faces an almost $5 million shortfall and it is unclear what if any programming will be affected.

``The goal is to make enough money so that we can eventually operate mostly on our own,'' Walden said.

While the new facility does not provide enough space to centralize all of PAL's activities including wrestling, soccer, and peer tutoring -- which will continue to take place in the city's parks and schools -- it's a step toward that goal.

``Right now, we operate out of our police cars, vans, schools, park, the police station. We're all over the place,'' Walden said.

Monica Frederic, 17, a PAL volunteer and police explorer, said the new center is a place where members of the community can interact with students and police officers in a laid-back environment.

On a recent afternoon, North Miami High's assistant principal, Daryl Branton, dropped by to lift weights.

``This is definitely a good outlet for our students and our teachers. After a day of school kids, it's a great way to blow off steam,'' he said while rubbing his shoulders.

To learn more about PAL

programs, go to http://www.north

miamipal.com or call 305-899-2626.

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Tutoring

Tuesday, March 30, 2010