“It has been an albatross for the city,” declared Helper Councilman Chris Pugliese. He was talking about the Rio Theatre at last week’s council meeting. He said the city should check out the options of what it would take to get it in good enough shape to sell and the council agreed. The objective is not to put the building on the market outright, but to weigh benefits and costs of keeping versus selling it.
Unlike the bird in the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” this albatross never quite had a chance to take wing and soar. Helper has been building, remodeling and repairing the structure for 16 years, lighting it, heating it and cooling it, hoping that it would someday draw regular, paying crowds for live theater, concerts and movies.
Although there were attempts at establishing a community theater that would attract local and out-of-town visitors, nothing permanent ever happened. As a result, the Community Development Block Grant the city had used turned into a loan because the project did not create the projected full-time jobs required. The loan is close to being paid off.
The search for alternatives on the Rio include exploring community sentiments and ideas.
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