GREENSBORO, N.C. -- It's another project that puts Greensboro on the map: the Steven Tanger Center For the Performing Arts.
Groundbreaking for the $78 million project started Wednesday.
"I'm glad that this center will be here because it's going to attract companies, it's going to attract tourism and it's going to create good-paying jobs," explains Governor Roy Cooper.
That's easy to say, but tough to prove until the center is actually up and running.
But if you head down the interstate to the Durham Performing Arts Center, you can see it's a likely trend.
The two centers will be pretty similar.
DPAC holds close to 3,000 people and Tanger will hold the same.
DPAC has about 180 events every year and Tanger is expected to have about 150.
Here's how DPAC has been doing:
It first opened in 2009 and attendance was about 300,000 that year.
But this past season, for 2015/2016, attendance was way up to more than half a million people.
Date from the Durham Convention and Visitor's Bureau also shows the economic impact has grown over the years. In its first year DPAC's overall economic impact was $ 33 million. This past year, total impact is $109 million.
That money going back into the city and into workers pockets. New restaurants, shops even a hotel have popped up around DPAC since it opened.
"When you look at thriving communities they have things like this that are quality of life."
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan says city council asks employers what they'd like to see to help keep Greensboro growing and a performing arts center among the top answers.
"That helps them attract business and that helps them attract and keep employees."
