In an about face, the Skagit Performing Arts Council has decided not to drop out of the management partnership with McIntyre Hall as originally decided in April.

SPAC Board members say that after further consideration, pulling out of the agreement would cause legal headaches for all parties involved and wouldn’t benefit the group and its members much at all.

“We realized that it’s going to take a lot more work (changing the management agreement) than we were willing to do,” said Clarence Holden, SPAC Board president.

Some SPAC members say they’re relieved to hear that the board has decided to stick with the original agreement.

“I am thrilled SPAC will be honoring the agreement with McIntyre Hall,” said Linda Alvarado, executive director of the Skagit Symphony. “We plan on supporting their support.”

Nonprofit SPAC shares partnership in the performing arts hall and conference center with Skagit Valley College, where the hall was built, and the Skagit Regional Public Facilities District that was formed to collect sales tax money to help pay for the hall.

The partnership agreement calls for SPAC to hold an annual fundraiser to help cover the hall’s operating budget deficit. In exchange, the agreement gives SPAC members priority, second only to the college, when it comes to booking performance dates at the hall.

That priority booking has been a big benefit for SPAC members, Holden said.

SPAC’s earlier decision to pull out of the agreement surprised and caused concern among some SPAC members, who worried that the local arts community would lose its priority booking status. SPAC members are primarily local performing arts groups.

* For more details, check out the full story in the Applause section of Thursday's paper.