Beck Center Holds Its Ground

When it comes to economic development, you don't share bad news till after Election Day. So it was safe to assume that the Beck Center's scheduled press conference for Wednesday morning was not designed to announce that the arts institution plans to ditch Lakewood for trendier climes. But in the past year, Beck Center had waffled in its commitment to the city that's housed it since its inception 75 years ago. In particular, Beck was considering a switch to Westlake, where it could have enjoyed a new life as an Abercrombie & Fitch at Crocker Park. "One of our fears was that Beck Center would pull a Cleveland Browns on us and move out of town overnight," said Lakewood Mayor Tom George. "We're certainly glad that didn't happen." Among other notable things that didn't happen Wednesday: No officials answered questions about where the new Beck Center would be built or who's gonna pay for it. After all, there's no time for trivial concerns while the donut buffet's still open. -- Erich Burnett