Nightly Theater Update November 26, 2019

Good evening! I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and are getting ready for some wonderful family and holiday time this week. � We are back with our nightly theater updates!

Lots of things going on since our last update. We have architects, developers, and a lot of interested people in helping us save the theater ready to get inside and get some concrete information about where we're at and where we go from here.

One slight problem though. I called the RDA last week and they won't let me get access to the theater to get what we need done. They seem to have a different reaction to the RDA meeting two weeks ago then the rest of us. When multiple council members told us to "bring back something concrete" or "that we had 30 days" or "we want to see new ideas to save this theater", the RDA interprets that as this already being over and a done deal.

Well, it's what we knew all along. The RDA has never actively had any interest in saving this theater or finding a real solution, but would rather give tens of millions in handouts to mega rich real estate developers who don't even need it to build luxury apartments nobody wants and nobody can afford.

In the last two weeks, I have personally reached out to our sister Pantages theaters that have already been restored, I have spoken with the state historical office about tax credits and the historical registry, I have spoken with local non-profits and organizations about long term usage of the theater, I have worked on a proposal for longer term sustainability as well as full historical revitalization, I have built a website, I have raised money, I have mobilized a community, I have met with politicians, and I have made dozens of phones calls each and everyday following leads and putting a deal together to see this theater kept alive, but also to make sure it flourishes perpetually into the future.

Pardon my French here, but why in the fuck am I doing the RDA's job for them? Why are they actively lying and spreading disinformation to the council about this theater and the realistic solutions to save it? Is the RDA really that inept that one person can do more in two weeks for this theater than they have done in the last ten years? They cry and cry saying they've tried everything to save this theater, but why have they never even talked to any of the sister theaters that have already been restored, going as far back to the 1980s? Why are we the ones having to raise $2000 to pay for an application to put a 101 year old building on the historical registry to protect and invest in its restoration? Why isn't this building already on the registry when the Kearns building right next door has been a "historic" building since the 80's and is just barely older? Is 101 years not historic enough?!?! Does it need to date back to Stonehenge for it to be taken seriously?

I mean, it seems like they haven't even tried to find real solutions and are just looking for excuses to see it destroyed to make developers even more rich than they already are.

I hate to break it to them, but that is not the true function of the RDA. The RDA, "Redevelopment" is about the heart and soul of the people and their city. Nobody in office, the RDA included, were put there by real estate boards. Profits are never put over people, especially when their history, culture, and artistic futures are on the line. Sounds like they and all our governmental leaders need to be reminded of this. We won't let you destroy our theater. It's not gonna happen in this city. The corporate corruption here for the sake of more and more profits here is obscene and disgusting. Our art and our historical legacy is not for sale. If we let people keep tearing it down to the lowest bidder, one day we'll be a state completely bankrupt and devoid of any soul, any culture, any unique and creative heritage and essence, and then we'll really be out of luck because they'll be nothing left to save.

There's nothing left to sell when you've already sold yourself.

So, when we have developers lined up to fly in to see our beautiful Utah Pantages Theater to help restore it, we need to be let in the damn building. That's fine if they don't want to be the ones to save it, but get out of the way then and let someone do the work that is actually going to restore our theater and see it last for the next 101 years.

I'm trying to play nice here, but my patience is wearing thin. I'm already annoyed that this theater has been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair these last ten years when it was purchased with the promise that it would be restored. I'm annoyed that we have to protest our own city to do the right thing and not tear down our irreplaceable historic jewel to build luxury apartments in the middle of the housing crisis when homeless shelters are being closed down before the winter. And I'm especially annoyed that we have an RDA actively lying to council members and "Redeveloping" this city into the ground when they should be doing their jobs in the first place with citizens in mind and not corporate profits.

But I'm not going to put up with them or anyone trying to kill our efforts and proposal when we are the only ones that actually have the solution to save it.

We are going to save this theater. It's the only option here. They can either join us in investing in the cinematic future of Utah by preserving artifacts and history, or they can get out the way.

Those are the only two options here. �

Anywhoo, more news coming soon! Lots of stuff in the works! �

#supportthearts
#savetheutahpantagestheater
#letusinthedamnbuilding

-Michael