A seven-figure gift has provided the base for Opera Naples, Theater in the Garden and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation to build an international center for the arts, the groups announced recently. Any information beyond that, however, awaits a firm contract. The organizations said the location is to be kept undisclosed until negotiations for the land it has selected are finished. The donor has requested anonymity, and that the dollar amount not be disclosed until the contract is signed. The opera would say only that it is seven figures. Discussions for a multi-use center began in November 2023, when Nicoletta Pavarotti, president of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, accepted an invitation to create a U.S. home for her organization on the land. According to the organizations, it is planned to be a multi-purpose space designed to honor the legacy of the world-famous tenor while also filling the need for such a facility in Naples. Plans for the property have targeted a 900-seat state-of-the-art indoor theater, an outdoor amphitheater, an opera museum, space for The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition and an opera-themed restaurant. It will be the first such Foundation location outside Modena, Italy. “I am beyond grateful to our anonymous donor for guaranteeing the funding to purchase the land for our grand vision,” Nicoletta Pavarotti said in a recent news release announcing the gift. “The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation has greatly enjoyed our partnership with Opera Naples over this past year, including our exciting performances … of “Don Pasquale” and our International Voice Competition. We believe we have tremendous momentum started as our partnership continues to blossom, and we can all dream together with Theater in the Garden about the artistic greatness we will achieve in the years to come.” “I’m thrilled,” said Livio Ferrari, director of the Theater in the Garden project. “We’re finally making into reality a dream this community has had for so long.” Two of the organizations have already collaborated to create the Luciano Pavarotti Opera Naples International Vocal Competition, which named four finalists Jan. 18. Each will receive $10,000 in performance contracts. Opera Naples has searched for a location for a large performance house on Collier County- owned property on Bayshore Drive and at another property east of the city. The former location was one that was earlier in the sights of CAPA, the Cultural and Performing Arts Center group, before it merged with United Arts Collier. Collier County’s price for that land at the time was deemed prohibitive. Opera Naples does have a performance space at its Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave. But it can only hold studio-size operas for 320 or fewer people.