Thank you for taking the time to support this effort by signing this petition for a Historic Tax credit. Though the effort made it very far through the approval process based on the merits of the project, it was ultimately rejected due to financial complications brought on by the expense of a legal battle over an alleyway that is owned by the Strand Theatre and was historically used for fire exits. We would have needed a fire exit, and the neighboring property changed the gate code and filed a lawsuit for adverse possession, after the project was fully approved by all governing bodies. Had we had the financial grit to make it through the legal system, I fully believe we would have prevailed.
After 3.5 years of doing my best to bring this old gem back to life, I had to make the difficult decision to let it go. I sold the Strand Theatre this week. The legal bills had become unsustainable and were estimated to continue for at least another year, reaching approximately $400,000 to make its way through a system that is clearly built for the wealthy. It comes at a great loss in many ways, but in letting go I’m beginning to find some of the silliness and joy that were previously a regular part of my day. That is followed by waves of disappointment and frustration over the broken legal system, and the mind-bending inaction of the Lambertville building department. Code violations at the neighboring property were allowed to go without consequence and created a tremendous burden in the revitalization effort.
Today, I am grateful to feel some relief and look forward to my focus returning to beauty and color once again. I believe the new owner of the Strand Theatre has an interest in maintaining the assembly zoning, and I hope that some of the artful things we had planned might still find their way into production at the Strand in some way down the line. At the very least, he has the resources to save the integrity of the building, and I believe he will.
Additionally, as part of this effort we formed a 501c3 called Strand Arts Collaborative designed to curate the weekend activities at the Strand. Perhaps it can still be used to support the arts in Lambertville and encourage the production of original works at the Strand or anywhere else in town, in a less complex way. For now, I am going to take some time to recover my spirit, travel, paint, and enjoy life without the crushing weight of legal bills. If you would like to continue to follow my work I invite you to join my newsletter list here or follow my travels and paintings on instagram @kellysullivanfineart
I so appreciate all of you who supported this effort by lending your name here. It was thrilling to see so many people show their support in just a few days! I’m sorry I was unable to cross the finish line. I surely gave it my best effort.
Most sincerely, Kelly Sullivan
Kelly Sullivan Fine Art & FingerSmears