The Monarch Theatre has been closed since it was purchased by the City of Medicine Hat in June after the previous owner, the City Centre Development Agency, was disbanded.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A 110th birthday party for the Monarch Theatre later this month could be in the planning stages while longer-term decisions on what to do with the historic Second Street theatre are fleshed out.
The issue of the city-owned building – closed since late June – came to council Monday with administrators saying work on the issue is essentially in a holding pattern for now, but some accommodation could be worked out.
“It’s a topic of conversation,” said Coun. Shila Sharps, who says after seven months since a vote to disband former owner, the City Centre Development Agency, residents are wondering about a plan for the facility.
“I’m wondering if there’s a conversation to be had about getting it open for the Christmas season, maybe working with, I know the Friends of the Monarch (Society) is willing to help out.
“I know there’s still work to do (on the file), but while we’re working on whether we’re selling it or whatever, can we reopen it?”
City manager Bob Nicolay responded similarly to a request for information at a committee meeting last month.
He says there has been interest and discussions with Friends of the Monarch about an interim event.
“We’re hoping to accommodate, if that’s council’s direction,” he said.
The issue will be discussed at the Monday meeting of the public services committee meeting.
A late December event would honour the 110th anniversary of the theatre’s opening on Dec. 21, 1911. The more “commodious” successor to the local Star theatre owned by W.B. Finlay and T.V. Ready, would be the “most up to date amusement house in the city,” according to the News report on the day.
The grand opening featured two free evening showings of silent pictures accompanied by a four-piece quartet.
Ownership announced an exclusive deal to show offerings of early cinematic comedians “Mutt and Jeff.”
The theatre has been closed since the city purchased the building in part to recoup some of an original loan to the CCDA, which purchased the building, and in part to keep it from landing in legal limbo when the CCDA dissolved.
Since then the city’s asset management and building services personnel have been in charge of the facility.
Costs at this point are utilities and insurance. Administrators echoed council members at the time of the purchase as there was no appetite for the city to operate the theatre or arrange rentals.
At the time mayor Ted Clugston said the purchase would help CCDA stakeholders recover some fees from the business attraction zone as well as allow time for potential local ownership to acquire the site.
