Successful theater would be good for neighborhood, reader says
To the editor:
While watching the recent controversy over the Highland Theatre, I am amazed at the lack of imagination and the inability to think things through.
The most common argument against saving the theater is the lack of community support for the already existing business. At the same time, these same critics point out that the movies shown there are second-rate children’s fare. In response, I have to ask, why should I support these?
The problem has not been a lack of support. Full house attendance at concerts and special film events shows otherwise. The problem has been bad programming content. A business provides a product. In the case of the Highland, that product should be unique, and what the Highland has been providing is not. If you provide the same programming that is available at other theaters, of course it’s going to fail.
Another problem of the Highland has been marketing. Once you’ve provided a unique product, you have to make people aware that it is there and deliver the product as promised.
Another criticism is the use of taxes to provide a bail-out. This is misinformation. To the best of my knowledge, the Highland Square Neighborhood Association has never even considered that option. What they are proposing involves local, independent financial investment in the community. No city dollars are being considered.
Highland Square is currently undergoing changes. But change for change’s sake can often be a dangerous thing. New development should be sensitive to the neighborhood’s needs. The theater is the outward symbol of this neighborhood and could be the anchor of a revitalized business district, and to toss it aside is foolhardy, to say the least. A few years ago, a study was paid for (by tax dollars) about the future development of Highland Square. This study showed that the theater was the most important structure in the neighborhood and vital to its redevelopment.
Highland Square has the highest average level of education in the city, and the highest number of people who make their living in the arts. And even though there is some crime, the average is low for an urban neighborhood of this type.
A business area with no attractions attracts crime.
The survival of the theater is good for the neighborhood. A successful theater, scheduling concerts and films unavailable south of Cleveland, would attract people to the square, making it a popular destination point. The other businesses in the neighborhood would gain by increased sales before and after events. This stimulates economic prosperity for the neighborhood and then, in turn, the city itself.
The city of Akron has been very concerned over the past couple of years about its image. How to attract business, which would, in turn, attract new employees, has been an important question. This is part of the answer. A venue of this type has proved successful in other cities around the country (cities even smaller than Akron). If this theater is torn down, this opportunity is lost forever.
Timothy Kelley, Highland Square
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