Government

‘There’s a Fine Line Between Charming and Outdated’: Playhouse Committee Convenes First Meeting

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Town residents should be polled on a range of options for future operations of the New Canaan Playhouse, where details such as costs to maintain or more substantially repair the aging structure are spelled out in detail, officials say. During their first meeting, members of the New Canaan Playhouse Committee on Tuesday said the town may opt to keep up the 1923-built structure as-is, mending it as needed, raising rent, cutting costs and operating at a loss, or else going to market to find a private owner interested in getting into the movie business, or even partnering with a newly created nonprofit organization that may run it as a more diversified entertainment venue. It’s important to find out just what those options would mean for New Canaan property owners, committee member Neil Budnick said during the meeting, held at Town Hall. “Our job is always to minimize debt and taxpayer cost,” he said. The best way to accomplish that may be through what committee members called a “white knight” scenario, whereby a generous supporter simply offers to give money to support the Playhouse.

Business

New Canaan Playhouse Committee Established to Identify Funding, Uses

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What’s the best way to operate the town-owned New Canaan Playhouse? That’s the heart of the question that the New Canaan Playhouse Committee is charged with addressing, members the Board of Selectmen said Tuesday as they formally appointed a panel of locals from the Town Council, selectmen and Board of Finance to make recommendations concerning future of the Elm Street fixture. While officials have said New Canaan is not in danger of losing the building, the committee will consider funding mechanisms to raise the estimated $3 to $4 million to bring the 1923-built structure up to code, as well as additional uses for the space. “The Playhouse Committee is tasked with the exploration of the public and private options leading to the funding of capital improvements, as noted in the 2015 budget review,” First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said during the meeting, held in the training room of the New Canaan Police Department. The committee is composed of John Engel, Steve Karl, and Joe Paladino of the Town Council, Neil Budnick of the Board of Finance and Beth Jones of the Board of Selectmen.