APPLETON, Wis. -- The countdown is on until the spotlight shines on Madison's Overture project. The new downtown art district is set to open Sept. 18.

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However, many Madison residents are wondering what will happen to downtown after the Overture opens. In Appleton, the city's performing arts center helped revitalize a struggling economy. The community invested $45 million into the project and residents said the investment was worth it.

The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center glistens like a gem along College Avenue in downtown Appleton. The city's mayor said it's a daily reminder that when a community comes together, dreams can come true.

"It's something that we're very proud of and accomplished in a world class way," said Tim Hanna, Appleton mayor.

Hanna said the performing arts center didn't come easy. Ten years befpre its opening, the downtown area was suffering as businesses moved to the outskirts of town.

"We suffered when the mall opened and a lot of retail migrated to the mall," Hanna said.

After years of tossing around the idea of building the arts center, Thrivent Financial donated the initial $8 million. The goal then became raising another $40 million.

"We had nearly 2,700 companies and individuals come together to build this dream. In many cases, it was the biggest gift these donors had ever given in their lives," said Kathi Seifert, of the Board of Directors.

Thirty-one months later, the curtain opened on the arts center and ticket sales exceeded expectations.

"There was such an acceptance and buy in by the community. We hit projections the studies said we'd hit in one-year of operation; we instead hit them in three months of operation," said Maria Van Laanen, director of marketing and communications.

Coinciding with the project, the face of College Avenue was also changing for the better. The city invested $6 million in new streetscaping and hit paydirt.

"We've got a new hotel downtown, a 73-room suite hotel," Hanna said.

New restaurants and retail opportunities also moved into the area, which increased the surrounding property values by three to four times. It proved to be a big boost for local downtown businesses. Flanagan's liquor store turned into a wine boutique, which meant more money flowing in.

"When they have their shows there, we fill up the first seating by reservation only. We fill up every night," said Dennis Lirette, Flanagan's Wine Review executive chef.

"Being able to build off of what's happening here and making sure it's infiltrating all the different areas of the community again helps support and makes people realize this is truly the community's performing arts center," Van Laanen said.

The center's versatility is also key. Everything from the main stage to the lobby can be rented.

"We've had wedding dinners here, a couple got married on the grand staircase, and we've had a bridal shower on the dress circle lobby," Van Laanen said.

Similar to Madison's Overture, ticket prices were also a hot topic early on. But Van Laanen and others worked to make sure the shows were affordable for all.

"We have different levels of pricing depending upon where you sit in the theater. Then, we have student rush near the end of performances for students to get a ticket at a lower cost," Seifert said.

To help meet the center's goal of every Fox Cities student seeing a performance, local businesses have even stepped up to the plate to help subsidize. It's all keeping along with the mission statement of truly being a gathering place for the community.

Appleton's performing arts center is the largest stage in the state until Overture opens. Residents said they are excited for Madison and they have some advice. They said to always keep in mind this is a community resource and everyone in the community should be able to use it.

Visit our special "Opening Overture" section for free events, interviews, video, slideshows and more!