City could take control of Emery Theater

Written by Cliff Peale

 

The University of Cincinnati has offered to give the Emery Theatre to the city of Cincinnati.

 

UC acknowledged that it had “become a lightning rod” in the dispute over development of the historic theater.

 

UC owns the theater and adjoining apartments but has leased the property to another development group.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130809/NEWS01/308090058/City-could-take-control-Emery-Theater

Remember participating in one renovation of the Emery when the American Theater Organ Society installed the Mighty Wurlitzer from the Albee Theater in it. It was truely a labor of dedication and love. The auditorium was partially, but not completely renovated. The Wurlitzer has since been moved to Music Hall where I hope it survives a long time.

 

The wife and I went to several organ concerts at the Emery. We were younger then but the neighborhood made us nervous, jumpy, and jittery. My uncle was an active participant in the Wurlitzer restoration group, making a lot of parts from exotic materials in his maintenance machine shop at GE Evendale. It was a noble endeavor but ran out of steam.

 

The neighborhood surounding the Emery I feel just made people skittish about going there. Wish the current effort success, but have reservations. A couple of performances a year will just not cut it. It needs to have performances on a regular basis which people will attend.

^The neighborhood/location is a MAJOR selling point now. Things change.

Without full occupancy permits it is very hard to hold regular events. The purpose of the occassional events the last couple of years was to raise money and awareness to make improvements so it could be ready for occupancy.

From 2011 until this year, The Requiem Project help yearly temporary occupancy permits for The Emery. In that time, events were held frequently and on a very regular basis. Some events were open to the public, such as the 11.11.11 Event in 2011, participation in MidPoint, hosting The National for an Obama Campaign function, and numerous Final Friday gallery openings. Some events were private or open only to a small group, such as the Emery Sessions recordings of notable artists, rehearsals for the Cincinnati Young Professionals' Choral Collective, a fundraiser for Rock this Town, and others. While it may not have been widely advertised, over 10,000 patrons attended shows produced by over 1,000 volunteers.

 

I urge anyone with questions to go to emerytheatre.com and read the FAQs as well as the full "Open Letter to the Cincinnati Community."

 

I'm also happy to answer any questions to the best of my ability.

You know, Cincinnati Enquirer, if you need a more current photo than the one of when the Emery was being renovated a decade ago, let me know.

I think a great comparison on size and potential is the Warner Theater in DC.

The Warner is a bit different in that it has been connected to a Class A office building since 1991.  But really that is a detriment to the theater's presence, not a boon.

 

The programming for the Warner is a collection of music and comedy, the space is sometimes used for large events as well.  It has a roof that is also rentable for these events and has recently been a boon to the property.  It is historic, beautiful (a little ornate ), and was not always that well taken care of.  I can only hope some semblance of their programming and success could be in the cards for the Emery! Cincy needs a theater of Emery's size... its perfect for comedy...

check it out:  http://warnertheatredc.com/

Fully restored/renovated, The Emery would boast educational/classroom/community space, a full acoustically-pure theatre (think Carnegie Hall or Symphony Hall), a multi-purpose room (black box theatre/event space/conference space) above the theatre, and a roof-top garden and event space.

Fully restored/renovated, The Emery would boast educational/classroom/community space, a full acoustically-pure theatre (think Carnegie Hall or Symphony Hall), a multi-purpose room (black box theatre/event space/conference space) above the theatre, and a roof-top garden and event space.

 

You have some envision as to what this old theatre can become. As I stated in an earlier post, we did paticipate in a partial restoration some years ago. Those people were very engrained also in that endeavor. It went a short distance but then fell on its face, not enough people wanted to be involved. The problem was simply location. I know the area has improved, but enough to get people there on a regular basis?

 

Memorial Hall next to Music Hall may be an easier task to attack. It also has an acknowledged auditorium. With all the activity around it, perhaps people would be more willing to go there.

I know the area has improved, but enough to get people there on a regular basis?

 

Yes.  It definitely has.  Try eating dinner some time at one of the restaurants nearby, especially on a weekend.  Everything is packed.

I know the area has improved, but enough to get people there on a regular basis?

 

We have been bringing people down here on a regular basis for several years now.  The neighborhood certainly isn't the problem with Emery nor is the lack of willing participants to help.

 

 

I know the area has improved, but enough to get people there on a regular basis?

 

We have been bringing people down here on a regular basis for several years now.  The neighborhood certainly isn't the problem with Emery nor is the lack of willing participants to help.

 

 

 

You are quite right. The problem lies with ECC and ECALP not upholding their end of the binding letter of intent. The Requiem Project embarked on a multi-year case-making process to show they had the support and vision to restore the theatre. The can't actually collect any funds for the restoration until they have a lease agreement in place. ECC/ECALP won't grant the lease until they've collected money. They are at a difficult impasse, but The Requiem Project has an unnamed potential donor will to give a significant donation to support renovation once the lease is signed.

 

There is other evidence that ECALP had no intention of actually seeing the theatre restored, including completely disconnecting water/sewer from the theatre, installing sprinklers with 0 respect to the historic integrity or aesthetics, removing four stories worth of marble stair treads from the staircase to the space above the theatre, and much more.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130909/NEWS01/309090071/Emery-Theatre-tax-exemption-challenged

 

The Emery Theatre building is in danger of losing its nonprofit tax exemption.

 

In a complaint with the Ohio Department of Taxation, Cincinnati Public Schools charges that the Over-the-Rhine building hasn’t been used for a public purpose in years, despite promises by its owner, the University of Cincinnati.

 

If the exemption is revoked, it would lead to tax bill of nearly $200,000 a year for the property, making it that much more difficult to develop the building and lending credence to UC critics who say the university has let the historic theater crumble.

 

This seems to be another factor that will lead UC to sell the property to the City of Cincinnati to avoid liability for property taxes.

Why is the Cincinnati public schools attacking this?  They do have a terrible track record with historic preservation, the whole thing is really stinky.  Why can't people in Cincy ever work together for the greater good on things like this - this theater is a national treasure.  (I feel like Indiana jones yelling out it belongs in a museum!)

^Because of this:

 

"If the exemption is revoked, it would lead to tax bill of nearly $200,000 a year for the property"

Why is the Cincinnati public schools attacking this?  They do have a terrible track record with historic preservation, the whole thing is really stinky.  Why can't people in Cincy ever work together for the greater good on things like this - this theater is a national treasure.  (I feel like Indiana jones yelling out it belongs in a museum!)

 

It has nothing to do with preservation or the theater. The building pays virtually 0 property taxes. It's allowed to pay virtually 0 taxes because it is supposed to have a public use (revenues pay for something at UC, theater has a public benefit etc.). But since the theater is closed, CPS can argue that there is no public benefit. The private apartments are simply paying the mortgage is off and the theater is closed. This argument may actually help people trying to bring the theater back into use.

 

The article quotes Mark Painter, the Requiem project's lawyer, as stating that there is no public use of the facility especially now that the theater is closed permanently.

 

CPS Has had tens of millions of dollars cut by the state. Any time they see someone who should be paying more in property taxes they always go after it. It's the only way they can survive without more levies.

 

Cincinnati Public Schools to Ohio: Make Emery pay taxes

Andy Brownfield Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Cincinnati Public Schools wants the Emery Center – the home of the embattled Emery Theater – to start paying property taxes.

 

The school district filed a complaint with the Ohio Department of Taxation asking the state to revoke the building’s tax-exempt status.

 

If the state agrees with CPS, it could lead to an annual tax bill of about $200,000. Cincinnati Public Schools would have a right to 65 percent of that money.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/09/11/cps-to-ohio-make-emery-pay-taxes.html

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/07/29/uc-emery-theatre-building-should-remain-tax-exempt.html

 

I can't believe that it's been almost a year now, and they are still arguing about this.  They want to have their cake and eat it too.  Requiem isn't allowed to renovate the theater, but they still want the tax exemption that the theater gives them.  Bullcrap.  Seriously, whoever is pulling the strings needs to realize that this theater is too much of a gem to be wasted in the manner they are doing.  Get over yourselves.

Ya. Definitely disagree with UC on this.

EXCLUSIVE: Group brings new suit against UC over historic OTR theater

Jan 14, 2015, 5:41pm EST

Andy Brownfield Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

A group that wants to renovate a Cincinnati theater said to be on par with New York's Carnegie Hall and Chicago's Orchestra Hall is suing the University of Cincinnati for the right to do so.

 

The Requiem Project – headed by New Yorkers Tara Lindsey Gordon and Tina Manchise who moved to Cincinnati for the project – is suing UC in the latest in a long, complicated battle over who gets to renovate the Emery Theatre.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/01/14/exclusive-group-brings-new-suit-against-uc-over.html

Disgusting that this has been allowed to fester for so long.  Something is seriously broken here.

 

Make sure to tweet or mail Santa Ono on this one.

Is there a plan brewing to restore Emery Theatre?

Bowdeya Tweh, January 15, 2015

 

Indianapolis-based Core Redevelopment, the University of Cincinnati and other parties have been quietly working on a deal for several months that could lead to the renovation and reopening of the Emery Theatre.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/downtown/2015/01/15/requiem-project-suing-university-after-eviction/21790119/

Hoping this can reopen. The sooner the better.

I'm curious what events would be held at the Emery if it were to be restored and reopened. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, just wondering how all of these venues in the CBD & OTR (Aronoff Center, Taft Theater, recently restored Memorial Hall, soon-to-be-restored Music Hall, soon-to-be-restored Emery Theater, recently restored Woodward Theater, and The Shoe at Horseshoe Casino) can all be successful.

Hopefully midpoint again. I was there the year they had bands there and was blown away by the space. Im guessing theyd have a mix of stuff just like the taft.

The only venue I see being in direct competition with it is Taft, but in terms of music venues we need way more options. Cincinnati gets skipped over for Columbus, Indy and Louisville all the time by bands. The more the merrier in terms of venues if you ask me and personally I would like to see either Emery or Taft get the kind of acts that the Louisville Palace gets. Right now there isn't much of a middle ground between the size of Bogarts/Madison and US bank arena. The Taft is the only one that fits that in-between size and they don't do that great of a job getting good bands on a regular basis, maybe 5-10 a year.

The vision of the two women is to make it an all arts event space. So while some folks are thinking of it as just a theatre, there a numerous very large rooms for art shows and classes, dance classes, spaces for resident companies (exhale dance tribe) and other art-type events. I'm not certain they're going about it the right way but they've got a nice vision to utilize all the space the building has to offer and not just the theatre.

I spent a little bit of time in Minneapolis when my brother was living there on a few visits.  He was big into the impromptu comedy /  comedic acting scene that is in Minneapolis.  We went a couple times to go see some acts and impromptu at a Theatre downtown.  I can't remember exactly the name.  But there are a ton of theatres down there.  The metro is about 3.5 million, which is quite a bit larger than Cincy, but they have a ton of theatres there.  A lot of my brothers friends in the neighborhood he lived moved to Minneapolis specifically to work in comedy clubs, bands, etc.  It is a huge arts scene there and a big draw to a certain segment of the community and brings people in from all across the Midwest.

 

I think Cincy is a long ways off from that, but you have to start somewhere and having the infrastructure there is a good start.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pantages+Theatre/@44.9762986,-93.276611,16z/data=!4m5!1m2!2m1!1sminneapolis+downtown+theater!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x7169f9d3401d1509

 

Edit:  More information here.  Minneapolis has the second most theatre seats per capita in the nation:

 

http://www.minneapolis.org/visitor/arts-entertainment/theater

 

Edit:  One more, this is a good article on the economics of the art scene there.  Case in point, as a city Cincinnati should always strive to do more for the arts, big or small:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2014/06/12/stone-arch-bridge-festival-minneapolis-art-scene.html?page=all

Another article on this, behind the pay wall at WCPO:

 

http://www.wcpo.com/entertainment/the-vision-of-a-renewed-emery-theater-could-be-revived-by-a-white-knight-developer-

Ugh, each post I read on this is more and more painful:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/03/10/requiem-project-files-new-fraud-allegations-in.html

Sigh, http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2015/03/31/motr-wants-emery-theater/70740662/

Interesting.  I think if Dan McCabe got it, something would happen quickly and it would become well utilized. Fingers crossed.

Dan McCabe & Co. have shown that they know how to successfully operate MOTR and the Woodward. They would probably do great at The Emery if given the chance. I'm not really sure what UC's long-term plan might be for this space; does anyone have any ideas? Is there some reason they would be intentionally slowing down a redevelopment of the theater?

Yeah McCabe would be the right guy for the job.  I kind of wish people would work together here though, come to some kind of compromise.

Emery Theatre dispute resolved with little detail.

 

http://m.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/03/23/exclusive-settlement-ends-years-long-battle-over.html

Does anyone know what's going to happen here?

Uc lost?

Is this good or bad?  http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2016/03/23/uc-requiem-emery-lawsuit/82175926/

So if I understand this correctly, UC is able to rehabilitate the Emery?

No, it sounds like Requiem Project, which has been raising money to renovate the theater since 2010, will be allowed to continue to renovate it. While UC owns the building, they lease it to Emery Center Apartments Limited Partnership (ECALP), who then subleases the theater to Emery Center Corp., who entered into the agreement with Requiem Project.

From my perspective UC just paid the Requiem team (Tina and Tara) $200,000 to go away. There doesn't seem to be, from the details that have been reported, any clause ensuring that UC, ECALP, or Emery folks rehabilitate the theatre and event space portion of the building. However, this does allow them to move forward with a rehab of their choosing if they decide to do so.

I just read the Enquirer's article which has a little more detail. I guess we won't ultimately know who is going to renovate the theater until someone makes an announcement. The Enquirer article hints that Core Redevelopment was interested in buying it and the settlement leaves the door open for that.

Sounds like the best outcome would be for UC to sell the building, and hopefully the new owner/developer would want to position the theater for reuse.

Some more details. Requiem is out

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/03/24/requiem-project-out-after-emery-theatre-settlement.html

 

I just hope a part of the agreement was that either UC will renovate or that they will sell to someone who will renovate. I wouldn't see Requiem just backing out for $200,000 and not have a guarantee.

Had a feeling this is how it would turn out.  Wonder how long this hidden gem will remain hidden :/

UC has the money and the backing to finance the renovation, and furthermore they can keep the theater programmed throughout the year due to CCM. They could host concerts and events of a caliber that surpasses anything on campus, both due to the quality of the theater and its location in OTR. I bet UC began to see this potential over the past few years and thus wanted to get Requiem out so that UC could maintain control. It's sad that it got ugly, which resulted in a few year of stagnation. But I suspect UC will move forward with the renovation, as opposed to selling it to somebody else.

 

Santa Ono is a huge classical music supporter and I imagine he would love to be able to bring the Emery back to life.

 

 

But they had the theater for like 20 years and didn't so anything at all with it.  I didn't even know it existed in the years I lived in Cincinnati!  I'm skeptical, it seems like the whole thing is a money making plan for the university and they don't care about anything else but that.

 

As usual Cincinnatians don't give two @#4@% to actually promote an underutilized asset.

But they had the theater for like 20 years and didn't so anything at all with it.  I didn't even know it existed in the years I lived in Cincinnati!  I'm skeptical, it seems like the whole thing is a money making plan for the university and they don't care about anything else but that.

 

As usual Cincinnatians don't give two @#4@% to actually promote an underutilized asset.

 

No offense, but OTR was still ranked as the most dangerous neighborhood in all of America back in 2009. It's no surprise they sat on the property for so long.

 

OTR was still a major wasteland in terms of activity up until 2012 anyway. So, I feel like we need to be a little patient when it comes to these things. We've come a long way, but it was only a few short years ago since there were constant shootings on streets like Vine and Race.

But they had the theater for like 20 years and didn't so anything at all with it.  I didn't even know it existed in the years I lived in Cincinnati!  I'm skeptical, it seems like the whole thing is a money making plan for the university and they don't care about anything else but that.

 

As usual Cincinnatians don't give two @#4@% to actually promote an underutilized asset.

 

You might be right. But UC, OTR, and Cincinnati have all changed a lot over the last 20 years. Ono has been president since October of 2012, which was after the Requiem Project had already kicked off (they had their big kick off event 11.11.11). I don't have any actual information... but I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of UC, and the most logical explanation is that they realized (finally!) what an asset they have on their hands.

 

 

But they had the theater for like 20 years and didn't so anything at all with it.  I didn't even know it existed in the years I lived in Cincinnati!  I'm skeptical, it seems like the whole thing is a money making plan for the university and they don't care about anything else but that.

 

As usual Cincinnatians don't give two @#4@% to actually promote an underutilized asset.

 

No offense, but OTR was still ranked as the most dangerous neighborhood in all of America back in 2009. It's no surprise they sat on the property for so long.

 

OTR was still a major wasteland in terms of activity up until 2012 anyway. So, I feel like we need to be a little patient when it comes to these things. We've come a long way, but it was only a few short years ago since there were constant shootings on streets like Vine and Race.

 

It started picking up around 2009 again, but I agree with your general perspective here. UC likely didn't see it as much of an asset because the neighborhood hadn't proven it was stable yet. I think the local institutions and large companies realized it was for real in the last 2-4 years.