St. Charles will invest in Arcada neighbor in hopes of keeping theater open

The first visible signs of progress toward keeping St. Charles' Arcada Theatre open will come with improvements to its nearest neighbor.

The city will not demolish the former George's Sport Center building. And despite interest from at least nine buyers, city officials decided not to sell it. Instead, they will sink at least $56,744 into replacing the building's aging roof.

Mayor Ray Rogina said city residents should take the investment in the building as a sign that discussions are continuing among the city, the Seattle-based owner of the Arcada Theatre building and the theater's manager, Ron Onesti.

Onesti threatened to shutter the theater as of Dec. 31 if the city didn't help him improve the building. Poor air conditioning and a general lack of bathrooms are the primary concerns. The George's building may be able to provide additional bathrooms if some cross access could be created, officials said.

"Even if we could help with the bathrooms, it won't matter if the building doesn't have a functional roof," Rogina said of the city's investment in George's. "As good owners, we're taking care of business here."

That doesn't mean the city has worked out everything needed to preserve the Arcada. Rogina said, "there's no immediate signal of conclusion on anything regarding the theater discussion." That said, Rogina takes a positive sign from Onesti scheduling performances at the theater for the spring.

Rogina said the city is still open to leasing George's to Onesti or for another use that would complement the theater. He also wouldn't rule out a sale if the right offer came to the table. In the meantime, Rogina said the city would push forward on all efforts to help Onesti.

"The Arcada is important to our downtown, and that's because of Ron (Onesti)," Rogina said. "And that means Ron is important to our downtown."