BOONE, Iowa—The Boone City Council has voted to prohibit anyone from being in the buildings that housed the Boone Community Theatre. The decision Monday evening, followed a presentation from the Community Theatre with several options to assist them in their efforts to find a new home.
Earlier this year, the city proposed an incentive of $10,000 a year for five years to the Community Theatre Board. The offer was to assist in finding a new home by the end of the year. Current Board President Susan Herrick told the Council that efforts over the past eight months have proven fruitless. She said they’ve investigated several alternatives, but have not been able to find a structure that would meet their needs. The Community Theatre did offer several options to consider by the council, ranging from a straight out purchase for $100,000 with 1-year to relocate, to a bond issue for a community center to a straight trade of property for a suitable location.
Since the initial offer by the city, an inspection of the property that was the old Garfield Elementary School discovered numerous deficiencies and raised even more concerns from city staff. Boone Mayor John Slight on the KWBG Tuned In program said the council action was driven by the potential liability issues. He said now that the city has inspected the location, they can no longer allow use of the building to continue.
This summer, the Community Theatre’s young peoples performance was held at the Boone High School Auditorium. Rehearsals were held at the Boone Community Theatre and Playhouse. The current production, the musical Anne with an “e” will be presented at the Evangelical Free Church, 1407 Kate Shelley Drive. Rehearsals have been held at the existing Community Theatre and Playhouse but will now need to be moved to a new location.
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