North Theatre up for sale in Danville

After millions of dollars in renovations and an attempt to bring a new entertainment venue to town permanently, the historic North Theatre in Danville is up for sale due to lack of revenue.

In 2004 a board was put together to restore the theater. After $2.5 million in renovations with the most modern technology the theater hosted a variety of local theater, music and special performances for five years. Former president of the board Roy Gignac said the theater was a popular place and always had a crowd for every show. But like theaters everywhere, the North could not survive on ticket sales alone but required additional funding of grants and donations to keep it afloat. After Gignac stepped down in 2008 the board was unable to raise enough money or secure funding to keep the theater going.

“Our problem was that we could not get enough support from the city of Danville or the foundations. We got some, but not enough,” said Gignac. “I am not faulting anyone. They make their own decisions. We just didn’t do a good enough job of selling our ideas to them.”

The North Theatre building is now on the real estate market for $395,000 and the high-priced technology from its interior is being sold off piece by piece. Gignac confirmed that there are several interested parties to purchase the building but no one has made a final offer.

Selling the theater has been especially hard for Jerry Meadors, the former artistic managing director.

“I am trying not to think about it because when I do I am so baffled. I dreamed from a very early age of this town having a theater,” said Meadors. “I went out and did all the research and all the design on it and gave hours and hours of my life on it. I made it into one of the finest venues in America. No expense was spared.”

Meadors also said that the community was very supportive of the theater, but credited its failing finances to the lack of funding from the city leaders and local foundations.

“What is wrong with the leadership in this community that they couldn’t find the money to support it?” said Meadors. “I will spend the rest of my life wondering why they did not invest.”

According to Gignac, the theater board approached the Regional Foundation for a $2 million endowment that was not granted. In 2008, the DRF provided the North Theatre with a grant of $110,000 under the condition that the theater raised $60,000. However, the theater board did not meet the conditions of the first grant and raised very little money, according to DRF President Karl Stauber.

“It is a beautiful facility and it is a loss,” said Stauber. “But if the community does not want it, then we won’t support it.”