CENTERVILLE — The half-shaped walls hold dreams, backed by the hard work and careful planning that any dream needs to become reality.

Work is moving ahead on the Davis Cultural Arts Center (DCAC), located at 535 N. 400 West. in Centerville (the north side of Parrish Lane). Those behind the project, which is still on track to be completed in time for the 2011 theater season, plan on it becoming a focal point for performing arts in South Davis.

“I like to think of it more as an events center,” said Rodgers Memorial Theatre President Glen McKay. “People who need a venue to perform and share their talents can come there.”

Though Rodgers Memorial Theatre will be the major tenants for the theater’s 546 seat main stage, the larger size will allow the stage to accommodate more than one show at a time. Also in the final plans are a black-box, theater-in-the-round style performing space that has no regular tenant, and a smaller outdoor amphitheater that may either be constructed now or added at a later time.

With this number of stages, McKay hopes to draw all kinds of performers to the theater, from junior high theater groups looking for performing space to national names such as those in the Davis Arts Council’s summer concert series. Though there are no concrete plans for it, visual artists would also be welcome to make use of the space.

“We would love to talk to any artist who would like to do showings,” said McKay. Those who are interested in doing so should call the theater at 801-298-1302 and leave a message with the box office. “If it has to do with art, call us and open up our minds.”

As for Rodgers themselves, the size of the new main theater – along with the hundreds of volunteers that have already offered their services both now and in the new building – will allow them some more opportunities onstage.

“It will allow us to do things we couldn’t do in the past,” said McKay.

The new theater, however, will also mean twice the number of seats that Rodgers will have to fill. The theater group has already anticipated the potential challenges, and are prepared to be flexible in order to make sure that the show goes on.

“We’re prepared to scale things,” said McKay, suggesting the possibility of either shortened runs for plays or running fewer nights a week like Rodgers did when it was first starting. Either, though, would only happen if the need arises. “There are two communities trusting us to keep this going, and we want to honor that trust.”

Part of honoring that trust has been the years of financial planning that went into the DCAC, a budget that has held despite the current economic challenges.

“On the whole, we’ve all been very conservative with our numbers,” he said. “We don’t want to get to the end of this and say ‘Oops.’”

Of course, he’s still fully aware of the scope of what the Davis Cultural Arts Center will represent.

“Sometimes I drive by the new building and think ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’” said McKay. “But there are times in our lives where we just have to take a deep breath and make a leap of faith.”

And, in a once-empty spot in Centerville, make art rise up out of the ground.

“We’re pinching ourselves,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.”

jwardell@davisclipper.com