ARTS ENTER CAPE CHARLES – ADVISORY – THE HISTORIC PALACE THEATRE
Over the past year, the Board of Directors of Arts Enter Cape Charles has been approached by several individuals interested in either purchasing or leasing the Historic Palace Theatre to expand its use as an entertainment and community arts venue.
One proposal being considered would install new digital projection and sound equipment in the Palace Theatre to offer first-run movies. If such a plan were to move forward, Arts Enter would continue to use the facility for its dance and theatre arts classes, summer theatre camps, music lessons, plays, and various other performing and visual arts events.
“We are committed to maintaining the Palace Theater as a cultural hub for our community,” said Arts Enter Board Chairman Henry “Hank” Mayer. “To strengthen our mission as a catalyst for those programs, we’re exploring various proposals that would more fully utilize the Palace complex.”
Mayer said that running the 75-year-old facility is expensive. Although the building is in good condition overall, the Palace complex will need some expensive structural upgrades in the near future.
“Ideally, we like to find partners to share in the increasing costs of operating and maintaining this beautiful facility,” Mayer said.
The Arts Enter is a non-profit organization that owns and operates the Palace Theater complex, which includes the theater, stage, dressing rooms, storage buildings, a dance studio and a small storefront used for arts classes. Arts Enter has an executive director, Sue Anglim, who runs day-to-day operations and reports to Mayer and the Board. Arts Enter’s mission is to offer arts-oriented classes for all age groups, stage quality performances at affordable prices, and strengthen its outreach into the community.
“We believe that to enhance our mission and to preserve the Palace as an arts venue, requires an infusion of new capital and income streams,” Mayer said.
The Arts Enter Board will spend the next three to six months studying proposals from potential partners or investors and considering other income-producing possibilities, Mayer said.
“We’re not rushing into anything,” Mayer said. “We’re being very methodical and will carefully analyze all proposals that seem fair, feasible and make sense for our mission, the Palace and the community. Meanwhile, we will be running existing programs as scheduled and adding new ones. We have a lot of exciting events already scheduled for 2017.”
Pat Hand is the only one that can save the theatre and that is build more condos
Your no growth and strict regulations are the reason of a stagnate growth , you Cape Charles is living in the past–you allow run down homes that are eyesores to exist.
There should be a boom in condos on 13, instead of a population of 10,000 it should be around 50,000 in Northampton. Agriculture is only 3% of national GDP it makes sense to eliminate it or protect it as it is a drain on the county tax revenue , residential is not. Tourism is not planned correctly it is very novice they try but fall very short to attract the real people with money to spend here and then leave to tell their friends a wonderful time they had. Locals that know a great deal about entertainment are not allowed on the council , your buddy buddy system is not working to get the professionals to do it. The theatre can be saved but it will take a reverse way in how we do business here, bold thinking, bold growth and bold integrity.
Tony is wrong on this one! I hope the arts win this, we always enjoy the small act scene that exists in CC.
Stagnation and isolationism is our problem, I want the theatre to continue, you forget I was there at the beginning to rebuild the theatre with my labor, money and performances.
I look for no fight on this subject but to have the Palace survive, I’m almost 90 years old in a few months and I will continue to use whatever energy to keep the theatre for our children to have a place to go to to dance, act and meet with friends