The Culver Redevelopment Commission members discussed a proposal from SRKM Architects during their meeting Monday afternoon.
The proposal outlined several actions the company could do to help the commission reach a decision about how to proceed with the theater. A structural assessment would be included along with a business plan, a chance to set up a public hearing to gather comments on potential uses for the building, marketing plan, preliminary budget, and more. The cost would be $8,530.
The commission members asked about creating a 501(C)(3) organization to possibly take possession of the building and work through grant funding. As of now there are quite a few structural issues to tackle where a Community Development Block Grant could assist with that financial burden.
They also questioned the fact that the owner, Tom, has placed the property on the market to be sold as a commercial building when he approached the town only recently to buy the theater from him for a potential town project.
After a lengthy discussion, a motion was made to approve the proposal by SRKM to move ahead with the study contingent upon the agreement of the owner in accepting up to $5,000 in earnest money to keep the sale open to the CRC. The motion failed by a vote of 3-2. Rich West, Tom Yuhas and Sue McInturff voted against the motion while Tammy Shaffer and newly-appointed member Sally Riccardi voted in favor.
