WALNUT CREEK — The Contra Costa School of Performing Arts will take its last curtain call in June, after administrators said rising facility costs and declining enrollment proved financially unsustainable for the 6-12th grade professional-track arts curriculum.
For nearly a decade, the nonprofit charter school offered a free, project-based learning environment for young artists to explore courses in dance, instrumental and vocal music, theater production and design. Its closure comes roughly eight years after the charter established its campus and one year before its most recent charter authorization was originally set to expire.
The recently renovated 42,000-square-foot building at 2730 Mitchell Dr. is now for sale, opening up prime property in the heart of the the Shadelands, a burgeoning business and recreation district in Walnut Creek.
The site is currently permitted for up to 725 students, but was constructed in 2009 as laboratory and office space. Commercial real estate brokers have started courting buyers to join the growing cluster of healthcare, biomed and retail organizations in the Shadelands. In addition to a push for more tech growth, developers are also planning to build dense, mixed-use housing projects near the school’s 4.5-acre property — designed to attract families and seniors looking to “work, live and play” in Walnut Creek…