Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. cast the tie-breaking vote at Tuesday’s Pine Bluff City Council meeting for the city to take over ownership of the historic Saenger Theatre in downtown Pine Bluff.
The aldermen split 4-4 on the issue, with aldermen Bill Brumett, Wayne Easterly, Charles Boyd and Steven Mays voting in favor of accepting the donation and aldermen Thelma Walker, Glen Brown, George Stepps and Irene Holcomb voting against the proposal.
“I think this is an opportunity that this community needs to look to the future, look toward economic development and look toward a revitalized downtown,” Redus said, adding that the $15,000 the city has committed to add to the project to replace the building’s roof is a small price to pay for an investment into the city’s future and young people, to applause from the audience.
In approving the resolution, the city accepted the donation of the Saenger and its neighboring annex building from the nonprofit organization Old Town Theatres Centre Inc.
The aldermen voted 6-2 in favor of a related item, a memorandum of understanding for how the city and Old Town will jointly continue to raise money for the theater and manage the property. The item was amended to include the language about the city’s $15,000 donation to the roof project. Stepps and Walker voted against the memorandum.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The total roof project cost is estimated at $36,000: including $16,000 in General Improvement Fund contributions from four area state legislators; $15,000 in miscellaneous city funds; and $5,000 from Old Town Theatres Centre Inc.
Old Town Theatres has been attempting to raise money to replace the theater’s roof for much of 2011. Supporters hope that shifting ownership to the city and contributing city funds to the project will allow it to get started quickly. Supporters have warned that without a roof replacement, the structure may soon be beyond repair.
The proposal came before the council with the support of the Historic District Commission and the recommendation of the Public Works Committee.