Wheaton to look at new theater plan

With a $19.3 million proposal to renovate the Wheaton Grand Theater off the table, city officials want to know if a dramatically scaled-down version of the project is viable.

So the Wheaton City Council is planning to form a steering committee to evaluate a plan to revamp and reopen the historic downtown theater with fewer seats and less space than originally proposed - but for nearly half the cost.

"I think there is still a lot of support for going forward with this," Councilman John Prendiville said of renovating the building along Hale Street. "My support has not wavered at all. I think it's a great thing for the city. We need it. And I think it will help our downtown businesses."

Talk of creating the steering committee came during a meeting Monday night, less than a week after Wheaton Park District board members pulled the plug on the district's $19.3 million plan for the theater.

That idea called for the park district to take ownership of the theater. Grand Theater Corp., the not-for-profit group that oversees management of the venue, then would have paid an annual licensing fee to the park district.

But a new independent study raised enough issues for park board members to question whether the theater could generate the revenue needed to repay the $19.3 million loan over a 20-year period.

Park board members said they're "open to other alternatives" for the theater, but want the park district to play a lesser role.

Prendiville said he realizes the city will need to take the lead in going forward. The steering committee would help determine if the scaled-down project could work.

Late last week, city representatives, parks officials and downtown business leaders talked about an alternative $10 million plan that would reopen the Wheaton Grand as an 860-seat venue.

Prendiville stressed that no one wants the city to spend its general revenue tax dollars to support the theater.

"That's never been part of the proposal," he said.

Councilman Todd Scalzo said one issue he would like the steering committee to explore is possible fundraising opportunities, including private donations and corporate sponsorships.

"The recent consulting study said that really is a big part of keeping theaters viable," Scalzo said.