Who Will Use the Alex?

In regards to buying the old Alex Theatre for a performing arts theater, may I make a suggestion?

Apparently the city has an option to buy the Alex and probably would have already bought it had they had the funds available. Luckily for the taxpayers, they didn’t.

When they bought the option, they evidently did not make a cost study as any private enterprise would have done. In other words, what will be the purchase price; what will it cost to refurbish this old beat-up theater; how much will it cost to maintain it; how much will it cost in lost property taxes to remove it from the tax rolls; and finally how much income--if any--can be expected from the rental of the facility?

The Glendale Symphony won’t use the Alex, so who will? Can’t all of the other performing arts--whoever they are--use our fine, but seldom used school auditoriums or our soon to be expanded Civic Auditorium?

After a professional cost study is completed the facts should be presented to the voters of Glendale and let them decide at the next election if they want to buy the Alex. This decision is far too important to present and future generations to be decided by only three council members.

AL HOFFMAN

Glendale