A not-for-profit group has bought the Monarch Theatre and will reopen to the public for movies and performances.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The Monarch Theatre will reopen as a downtown venue for movies and performances once a sale is finalized to a not-for-profit society formed by four local Rotary Clubs, city council heard Monday.
The group, known at the Monarch 1911 Society, would acquire the 112-year-old movie house for $100,000 from the city, then engage local media production company “Plugged-In Media” to operate it and handle bookings.
Any profits would be used in the service club’s community work, said Frank Devine, head of Saamis Rotary Club and Monarch 1911.
“We’ll revitalize the theatre and bring it back to its grandeur of old,” said Devine. “We’ll have movies, comedians, acts and all kinds of things going on. We’ll utilize it as much as possible. We wanted to give something back to the community as the Rotarians of Medicine Hat … this generates income on a steady basis and helps revitalize downtown.
“We think there’s a big missing piece for groups and acts that don’t fit into the Esplanade or Co-op Place. It’s a smaller venue and it’s open to a variety of acts.”
The 400-seat theatre at 609 Second St. opened in late 1921, but has been closed expect for limited special event use for the last two years.
The city acquired it in 2021 when the previous owner, the City Centre Development Agency, was set to dissolve and its assets revert to the provincial government. The city paid $205,000 for the building, including the forgiveness of $60,000 in outstanding loans used in the original theatre purchase.
The CCDA’s proceeds were endowed to Community Futures Entre-Corp to provide loan programs to business startups.
City councillors expressed excitement about the Rotary clubs’ plans to operate and preserve the building – two conditions they placed on any potential sale during a “request for proposals” process launched in late 2022.
They voted 9-0 to direct staff to negotiate and finalize the “as-is” sales agreement for $100,000, which could include a 50-year agreement for the city to have right of first refusal on future sales.
“Some people in the community may feel the purchase price is a little light, quite frankly, but council has put limitations on the sale,” said Coun. Darren Hirsch. “This is the right decision for what is a unique building.”
Officials with the Friends of the Monarch Society – which formed to fund raise and volunteer at the theatre after the CCDA bought it in the late 2000s – told the News on Tuesday that they have not been involved to this point, but were excited about new ownership.
“It’s very encouraging,” said longtime society volunteer Judy Morris, who said her group would be willing to offer similar support and pass along a large amount of historical information compiled about the theatre. “We’ve been waiting very patiently to find out what’s happening.”
The city conducted two rounds seeking interested buyers or leaseholders at the facility, each with the hope of avoiding direct municipal management but reopening the space as a central point of downtown revitalization.
Administrators said that’s been accomplished with the creation of a “social enterprise,” and delays since early 2023 were caused by the registration of the new non-profit society.
“(The Rotary group is) really invested in the community and the theatre is such a big part of downtown experience, to see people use it again will be incredible,” said Mayor Linnsie Clark.
A request for proposals process was undertaken in December 2022, and negotiations followed one of three potential buyers, city officials said Monday.
An interim building evaluation done by the city states the movie house will require about $375,000 in repair work over the next five years, including roofing, lighting and the exterior brickwork.
Devine says Rotary Clubs are adept at fundraising and finding grants to aid in capital upgrades.
