The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday took an important step toward securing a $2 million state grant to help offset renovation costs at The Playhouse.
The pub at The Playhouse premiere, June 27, 2024. Credit: Terry Dinan
The town’s application for a Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development grant follows an announcement last December regarding the state Bond Commission’s approval of the funds.
According to town Grant Writer Greg Reilly, the selectmen’s support of the application—including authorization for First Selectman Dionna Carlson to gather and submit documents under the DECD’s Urban Action Grant program—is “one of the final steps in the long process of obtaining the $2 million that was awarded to the town last December, through the state Bond Commission and through the work of our legislative team.”
“One of the things that’s unusual about this case is that the money was granted after the project started,” Reilly told the selectmen at their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
The new concession at The Playhouse premiere, June 27, 2024. Credit: Terry Dinan
“So we are going back and playing catchup and doing everything that has to be done, including apply for the money,” he continued. “There’s all sorts of things that are required, and this is one of them. We have submitted an application. And I know this has to be read into the record. And you’ve already read it yourselves. This ratifies and approves the application that has been sent. It approves the application that has been submitted and it authorizes the first selectman to provide any and all other documents that are necessary. And there’s a bunch of them.”
Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted in favor of the grant resolution.
The new pub inside The Playhouse on Elm Street. Photo courtesy of CinemaLab
The Playhouse reopened to wide praise this summer following a widely anticipated renovation. The refreshed building, which remains a twin theater, now includes an Elm Street-facing pub that’s open to the public and a new concession, among other amenities.
Carlson thanked Reilly and Administrative Officer Tucker Murphy, among other municipal workers.
“It has been a lot of jumping through hoops, a lot of documents, a lot of working back and forth with legal and the state,” she said. “So I just want to thank everybody for continuing to stick with it because it has not been easy.”
Reilly noted that Public Works Director Tiger Mann and Buildings Superintendent Bill Oestmann had in hand “the documentation that we needed to show how the money was spent and that it was spent properly and all those things.”
“It’s still an ongoing team effort,” Reilly said.
The selectmen asked when the funds may be received (hopefully within a couple of months) and whether the town has already bonded for the Playhouse project (partially, yes).
At the time the Bond Commission allocated the $2 million last year, state Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125th) said in a press release: “I am appreciative of this decision from the Governor, his team, and commission members to recognize the need and demand to invest in this project, and for the work of local leaders and community voices who have continued to pursue their vision and complete renovations to this community resource. This has been a long time coming – I was a vocal proponent when then First Selectman Dick Bond led the Town effort to purchase the Playhouse theater decades ago. It is wonderful how supportive the state is of this public-private partnership committed to reviving this downtown asset and providing families and visitors with access to a culturally enriching, state-of-the-art facility. The unified effort to deliver on that promise is something that makes us all proud.”
Yes an eyesore in our town was restored to an attractive functional operational theatrical playhouse with a private members only club for the who’s who in New Canaan . But at what cost to the taxpayer? Remember our municipal government does not have money, they have our taxpayer money. They also have a fiduciary responsibility to safeguard and spend those funds prudently. Kudos to Ryan Fazio and Tom O’Dea in their efforts to obtain the state grant. However it is not a done deal and we were misled by our First Selectman and some others back in June that the state grant was already received. Some here we are 2 1/2 months later and the first steps of the grant application is just being submitted. Who dropped the ball?
. Remember the front page blown up picture, appearing in another town newspaper, of a $2,000,000 check made out to the Town of New Canaan held up at the ribbon cutting in late June. Total lack of transparency.
However there is much professional skepticism. Even our Town’s Board of Finance and Town Council members were skeptical and bothered by the excessive cost overruns and continual requests for additional funds for this project. Many, including some private investors in the project are still awaiting a proper accounting of the expenditures in this project.
As a forensic auditor I see parallels to the costly Lakeview Avenue Bridge fiasco and excessive mis management and budgeting in this project.
I would appreciate an internal audit of the excessive cost overruns instead of a lengthy article of persons patting themselves on the back for doing their jobs that they are paid for doing.
Yes we have a nice playhouse but at what cost?
party pooper
i honestly don’t know the ins and outs of this grant or its history, but Roy, as you know and as we’ve said here before, the movie theater (and pub) are fully open to the public. let’s please not disparage those who have become members. as noted in past comment threads, they are effectively and generously supporting the Playhouse so that tickets and prices are affordable and even more members of the community and public can go there with even greater frequency. (personally i’m appreciative because i’m going to see “Empire Waist” on Sept. 30 with family.)
i think there were some elements of this renovation that will serve as a great lesson for the town on handling future capital projects. Here’s an example from the Board of Finance, and I know that both First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll discussed the project cost during last year’s campaign. So it’s a known thing, and at this point your call for vigilance feels—to me, at times—more like weaponizing the renovation to poke at your perceived enemies than to serve the community.
thank you for your comment, this thread is closed.