VENTNOR THEATER: The "Saturday Surprise"

[VENTNOR eVOICE ADMIN]

It started with news/rumor posted anonymously on the Forums

http://www.ventnorevoice.com/bulleti...read.php?t=633

and evolved with comments and other coverage from local press.

When there is a mechanism in a town to simply "get the word out" sometimes remarkable things develop.

WLV heard from one of its members Guy Muzio who had been involved in rescuing an historic theater elsewhere; and CSURE's Marsha Galespie, in the course of paying a second inspection visit to the Ventnor Theater with realtors and interested "helpers-for-a-cause" had an unexpected "bump encounter" by a resident riding by on a bike (Joel Ashley). It came to light that he and an investor group with entertainment industry connections had attempted to purchase the theater many years ago and he still held onto the blueprints and a wealth of historical information about the theater's original details.

There was a "small" meeting two Saturdays ago, with both of these gentlemen expressing support for the idea that a saved and restored theater could be a wonderful thing for Ventnor -- serving as a "spark" for revitalization by becoming a "magnet" for the pedestrian traffic which can help commercial districts.

This past Saturday, the presentation at the WLV meeting also had a surprise disclosure, as reported in this week's Downbeach Current.



A comprehensive restoration would be a large undertaking; it could be a most worthy community-wide effort. Joel's vision at the property was to restore the "old-fashioned" aspect of the businesses which originally flanked the theater entrance. There used to be a drugstore with an old-fashioned soda fountain.

At the time of the last investigation, a soup-to-nuts restoration which would be faithful to historic aspects and also bring the building "up" to appropriate standards was estimated at close to $3 million.

Cross fingers ... and dare to hope. Nobody "loves" a town more than people who've seen it during the up times, and witnessed the down times, and then in affirmation of the future take the first concrete steps toward a vision of what might be possible.

[normkling]

As if Mayor Theresa Kelly does not have enough meetings every day of the week, she attended the WLV meeting last Saturday and heard the Ventnor Theatre discussion. This is the type of citizen involvement the political campaign this past spring and WLV (hats off to its founder, Paula DeLuca, and her nucleus of helpers) sought to engender.

Norm Klinger