Metropolis gets funding to stay open
Arlington Heights will continue to fund the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre for the rest of the fiscal year, with a few strings attached.
After four hours of debate, the Arlington Heights village board on Thursday night agreed to provide $450,000 in additional funding to keep Metropolis open, but with stricter control over the money and an eye on long-term solutions for the struggling theater.
Metropolis will receive the first payment — a little more than $300,000 — when it provides village Finance Director Tom Kuehne with an up-to-date list of past-due expenses. The village will dole out the remainder of the money when Kuehne reviews expenses on a regular basis through April 2015. The board voted 7-2 for the funding with Trustees Carol Blackwood and Mike Sidor voting against.
The other option was to let the theater close when it ran out of money at the end of the month.
More than 20 members of the audience spoke at Thursday's special meeting. Many of the audience members were in favor of keeping Metropolis open and called it the “heart” of the community, but trustees voiced concerns about continuing to fund the struggling theater without more operational control.
“If I can't control the money, then I just can't vote for it,” said Trustee John Scaletta. “This isn't working.”
Several ideas for solutions were discussed and dismissed throughout the meeting, including adding more seats to the 350-seat theater, bringing in a private management company to run Metropolis, or making the executive director at Metropolis a village staff member reporting directly to the village manager.
Decisions on those ideas weren't made on Thursday, but Mayor Tom Hayes said approving the money will keep Metropolis open while the village works toward a long-term solution.
“We are not putting another Band-Aid on it,” Hayes said. “We are in the process of hopefully finding a permanent fix and we have to work together to do that.”
The path to that solution will also likely include two village-funded studies: one to determine the financial impact of Metropolis on the village and one to look at the viability of the theater as it is and possible alternative business plans. Hayes said he will also explore creating an oversight committee for Metropolis that could include members of the village board, the village staff and the Metropolis board.
“I think Metropolis is a critical component of our life here and just something we cannot afford to lose,” Hayes said.
Arlington Heights has been actively subsidizing Metropolis Performing Arts Centre since 2005, using money collected by the village's food and beverage tax. Including the $2 million the village spent to buy a portion of the Metropolis complex in 2005, the total investment so far is $4.7 million.
Although the money was approved this time, trustees made it clear they would need to see major changes before the next round of budget hearings in early 2015.
“This is the last time I'm voting for more money for Metropolis until I see indications of significant changes to the business model,” said Trustee Joe Farwell.