In 2000, the Wayne Theatre Alliance promised the Waynesboro City Council and the Waynesboro community that it would work to raise the funds to return the shuttered Wayne Theatre to life as a cultural, educational, and economic asset for Waynesboro. In 2008, after years of devoted work, WTA met with the City of Waynesboro’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and secured its participation in the project by promising to meet a prescribed set of mandates that would prove the economic impact of a reopened Wayne Theatre on Waynesboro.
With the EDA agreement in hand, WTA promised US Bank and the Virginia Community Development Corporation that it could meet the requirements for a muti-million dollar investment in tax credits to restore the Wayne and open it without a debt on the reconstruction.
Since then, WTA has met the conditions of the EDA agreement and has continued to meet the mandates by successfully operating the preview season at the Ross Performing Arts Center.
WTA has received notice that the final $1,000,000 in tax credit funding has been received by Access Bank and the construction loan has been paid off. In addition, the National Park Service which has oversight of federal historic tax credits has just given its approval of the Wayne restoration. The promised historic rehab of the Wayne Theatre/ Ross Performing Arts Center is completed and without debt.
Those of us who have worked on the restoration of the Wayne Theatre and for the revitalization of downtown Waynesboro are justly proud to have arrived at this moment. We are hopeful that the City of Waynesboro will recognize the on-going successes at the Ross Center, reconsider the promise made by its Economic Development Authority and fund the agreement.
A promise is a promise.
Clair Myers is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Wayne Theatre Alliance.
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Chris Graham
