The Day - Major Mystic development should save theater - News from southeastern Connecticut

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Released on January 11, 2021. 2021 12:01 AM 

Last February, I learned about the development plan of the former Mystery Education Center. Once I seized the rare opportunity this project brought to Groton's economic development, I contacted developer Respler Homes to see if they could reserve space for the performing arts space. They invited me to visit the property. To my surprise, they found a little-known 322-seat auditorium/theater and said they would be happy to keep and renovate the auditorium, but the final decision lies in Groton Town. The subsequent tour was originally scheduled for March 24, hosted by Wendy Burry of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural League, but then COVID-19 occurred.

The mission of the Groton Park and Recreation Department was to determine the best use of the Pratt Building, which also houses a swimming pool and gymnasium. They signed a contract with Green Ways to conduct a "statistically significant" survey. Based on the results, they hired Pirie Design to create a plan based on the interpretation of these results, which was submitted to the Groton Town Council on January 5.

Before this speech, I had the opportunity to submit a citizen petition to the Parliament, and three other residents joined me. The four of us are representatives of performing arts organizations (I am the co-founder and president of CT Lyric Opera)-we all expressed our strong desire to preserve and renovate the theater as a residence for a vibrant new art center. Once we had finished speaking, most of the councillors expressed their support for retaining the theater and generally believed that more work was needed to promote Groton’s artistic development.

The next part of the meeting was devoted to the proposed renovation of the Pratt Building, and after a good review of the "Green Road" survey, the design was presented. I was very disappointed when I learned that they eliminated the theater and replaced it with several "flexible spaces", staff offices and storage spaces. Even before the end of the speech, it was clear that most of the committee members were dissatisfied with the scrapping of the theater, and the project has been completed so far without informing the board of this major design change. Before the meeting ended, the council had instructed Parks and Rec to understand how to obtain other designs including the refurbished theater.

The council also received an explanation from the town staff that Respler Homes is the party that will pay for the renovation, and the agreement on tax incremental financing has not yet been finalized.

Incredibly, this unique 322-seat theater features a 1,623-square-foot stage and balcony, without considering the potential benefits that a renovated theater may bring, including:

• economic development. Art contributes US$168 million to the economy of New London County, supports 4,500 jobs, provides local and state governments with US$10.5 million in revenue, and attracts 3.2 million visitors each year. Similarly, 66% of art participants are locals, and many art participants frequent local restaurants and other businesses before and after the event. These important statistics are provided by the Cultural Alliance.

• Potential sources of income. Organizations that use the space can be charged to pay for electricity, heating/cooling, and security costs, while a small surcharge for event tickets may accumulate large amounts of money each year, potentially funding other programs at the Pratt Building or Groton opposite.

• Opportunities to develop the art world in Groton. Several MPs said that compared with the neighbouring communities of New London, Westwind and Norwich, Parks and Rec has the need to enhance its artistic products and increase the artistic opportunities that Groton currently lacks. The theater will be very helpful to provide a contact point for the art world here.

• The attraction of the mysterious river cliff. This new development will eventually accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 residents, and the vibrant artistic sceneries on the property will attract young professionals as the expansion of electric boats and other businesses is attracting the area.

I created an online petition (

), its sole purpose is to show to the City Council that residents of Groton and surrounding towns have a strong desire to preserve the theater, refurbish it, and make it the home of the expanded art community we desperately need. Please join me and many local residents who have expressed support to ensure that this incredible opportunity to promote art in Groton will not be overlooked by us.

The Republican United States opposed it. When their southern strategy led to a fierce response in the Trump presidential election, his supporters would not accept the democratically determined result.

We cannot blame the leaders we have elected, or whether we digest the media or the institutions we have established. In democracies, we have choices.

When corporate raiders plundered American manufacturing in the heart of the country and moved jobs overseas, what was the anger?