California Center for the Arts Escondido in jeopardy NBC 7 San Diego [Video]

The future of a beloved Escondido theater and cultural arts center is at stake. This comes as the city is facing a budget deficit and is looking for ways to make changes and cut costs.

NBC 7 spoke with the community and current management — the California Center for the Arts, Escondido Foundation (CCAE) — on how they plan to hopefully continue their 30-year legacy.

The CCAE’s primary theater can house up to 1,500 people. 

“But in order to get the really big name entertainers, it’s not enough capacity to accommodate those kind of performers,” said the foundation’s CEO Gina Lopez.

Lopez joined the nonprofit foundation, managing the center last year. It’s capacity limitations have contributed to the center’s financial struggles over the years.

“I mean, it had ups and downs. Obviously in 2008, 2009, it was in a very difficult position,” Lopez said.

The main theater sits on a larger campus that’s home to a …