With an opportunity to secure a grant from the US Department of Treasury, worth almost seven million dollars, the Mayor’s office submitted the grant application the week of October 13, 2023.The location is still an unknown factor for the Center, and it has been the topic of heated conversation on social media.

One possibility that is being considered is the Greene Avenue Field in Knighstville, undeveloped land where the rides for St. Mary’s Feast Society are located.

According to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Anthony Moretti, this site would require the construction of a brand new, 8,500 square foot building. The construction would more than likely go over the allocated funds.

The location lacks adequate parking and is far from major bus routes. But a brand new building, built to spec, near established businesses is enticing.

Another possible location is the soon to be empty Arlington Elementary School.  This property is 18,498 square feet, and was constructed in 1957. By June or July of 2025, the students at Arlington are supposed to be moved to the new Gladstone Elementary building.

While the size of the building is adequate, it will still require many major updates and retro-fittings to meet the standards of the grant. And, as with most major construction projects, there is no guarantee that Gladstone will be open and ready for the 2025 school year.

Again, transportation is an issue, as Arlington also is not on a RIPTA bus line.

The last location Moretti named as an option is the Park Theater. While many people feel using the Park comes with political implications, it might in fact be the perfect place. However, the building is it is not currently owned by the City, and parking currently is a challenge.

Another big obstacle for this particular location, is, it’s currently owned by Dig In Dining Group, of which former Ward 4 Council Ed Brady is a managing partner.

On his Facebook page, Robert Ferri, Cranston Citywide Council made a request of all elected officials on September 27, 2023

“In consideration of the contentious discussion, surrounding the City of Cranston purchasing the Park Cinema which is owned by Ed Brady, a former Councilman in Cranston, I am calling on all elected officials to return any contributions made to them by Ed Brady or any of his partners in Dig In Dining Restaurant Group

Several other City Council members have gone on record stating they will not support utilizing the Park, as it would appear to be a buyout by the City.

On September 15, Council President, Jessica Marino posted to Facebook, “The mayor and his administration did not have much in the way of specifics, noting that they were going to investigate it further and once they had more details, they would inform the general public with two options in order to get community input since the deadline was coming up in October.

My concern was clearly warranted; and remains so. I do not envision our city government taking on the role of a private entertainment business or a building that has had a history of financial struggles. Historic as the Park Theater may be, it has clearly struggled to be a successful private business venture. I do not support the government taking on the responsibility of ownership of the Park Theater.”

The Park Theater is at an excellent location. It sits directly across from Cranston East, and with a commercial state of the art kitchen, East can offer a culinary program similar to Cranston West. None of the other locations can offer easy access for the students.

At a special Council Finance Committee meeting on September 25, to discuss applying for the grant itself, many community influencers spoke on behalf of the Park.

CCAP, Cranston Public Schools and Pat Paolino Cruz all spoke of the necessity of a localized Cranston Community Center.

Cruz would like to reestablish a Cranston Chamber of Commerce out of the building.

Ed Brady, a partner in the Park Theater is determined that the location is truly the best for Cranston.

“The City of Cranston currently has the opportunity to acquire The Historic Park Theatre for 3.2 million. This 40,000 square foot property was appraised for $5.5 million in 2019 and has undergone an extensive renovation and revival effort since this appraisal. Over $12 million dollars have been invested into the infrastructure over the last 15 years from Pi Patel and recently Dig In Dining,” Brady said

The homes and land next door to The Park Theatre are also owned by Patel and are currently being offered and allow for 35 parking spots for $400,000 to $500,000.

“The city’s report conducted shows $3.2 million would need to be invested to convert and make the community center at The Park state of the art. After this investment the city would will still have $300,000 for any possible overages to utilize for additional improvements necessary,” said Brady.

Lining up other sources of income, Brady is working day and night to make the Community Center actually happen.

Bill Haney of Theater by the Sea has already agreed to bringing his performances to Cranston during his off season.

“Met with a solar CEO yesterday too who agreed to bidding on naming rights if it got to RFP form too he also said something like this in parking lot next door would energize east, fire station, school department, city hall and theatre and more federal funds are coming available.

Brady believes the historic value the Park Theater lends to the greater Cranston community.

“The Park Theater is a historic and iconic cultural landmark centrally located in the heart of Cranston. It is renowned for it’s stunning architectural interior, and serves as a vital hub for the arts and entertainment in our community,” he said.

Anthony Moretti, Chief of Staff for Mayor Hopkins office, said the City has not made any firm decisions as of the day the application was submitted.

“Our Engineering Department estimates that we could construct an (approx.) 8,500 square foot facility on existing city-owned property for the allocated funds of short of $7 million.  As to renovating Arlington, the school department provided us with an estimate that they had done several years ago. At the time (I believe it was in 2018), the estimated cost was over $7 million.  Given inflation since then, they advised that we should plan on an additional 30% or so if this facility was to be considered.

The administration has not yet developed formal criteria for a site.  Rather, we just had a casual brainstorming session or two to see what obvious existing sites may be available.  As to a more formal process, we plan to work with the council / council member representatives.”

Ward 3 Council member John Donegan supports using an already City owned property.

“My understanding is that the grant application submitted is specific to City owned property. As the Park Theatre is not owned by the City, it was relayed to me that the Mayor is no longer considering that as an option. I personally feel that building on or renovating existing City property is the best way to maximize the dollars of the grant to serve the needs of our community. As the Ward 3 City Councilperson, of course I am advocating for the Arlington School site; it is smack dab in the geographic area in which statistically most meets the objectives of the program. As the Chair of our Finance Committee, I am committed to a thorough and transparent process,” he said in an email.

Prepared for (almost) any opposition the Council may come up with, Brady is ready to defend the Park.

Brady suggested using a ticket portion to assist in offsetting costs.

“An enterprise fund much like the city’s ice rink would be established and four dollars a ticket would go back to the city for every ticket purchased. It would be used as a restoration fee to benefit any parking liability or upgrades needed for the future. The venue has the ability to do 100-150 shows annually allowing for over 100,000 tickets purchased,” Brady said.

“All of our Cranston schools would have access to the theatre for free for events. The management operation would have no burden to the tax payer because additional rental income would be achieved allowing for a daily maintenance person. A management company and a board of directors would run the community operation as a non profit similar to structures throughout Rhode Island and the county that have proven great success. This would allow our community to empower and protect arts while creating much needed economic development to the surrounding area.

Protecting the arts while building community during these decisive times needs to be at the core of the message, building culture.

Working with organizations like RI State Ballet and RI Youth Theatre, Anne Mullhall from LDI Casting, Steve Feinberg from RI Film and local director Tom DeNucci would create the opportunity to teach our local youth about film and theatre.

A naming rights sponsor has agreed to a five year commitment with a letter of intent for half a million dollars, or one hundred thousand dollars a year.

“This would have to go out to a RFP but it would pay for the buildings annual utility bills,” Brady said.

Brady has also secured a rental agreement with Region Church.

In a letter dated November 13, 2023, Pastor R. Leslie McMillan III, confirms that Region Church currently rents out the theater for $2400-3000 a month, and wants to continue this relationship into 2024.

Citywide Council person, Nicole Renzulli sees the practicality of utilizing the Park for this endeavor.

“Boasting a one-of-a-kind location across from City Hall and with its proximity to educational partnership opportunities at Cranston High School East, transforming the Park Theatre into a community center is a unique concept.  By exploring a partnership with CCAP, which is funded federally, we can potentially offer health, education, and job services to our residents without burdening taxpayers, and while also providing a vibrant hub for arts and culture in our city,” Renzulli said.

Renzulli wants to make sure all locations are vetted thoroughly before a decision is made.

“The City Council and community should receive a formal proposal for consideration. Thoroughly assessing all self-sustaining community center ideas, including the Park Theatre, is essential to maximizing the use of federal dollars and ensuring we don’t miss out on valuable opportunities for Cranston’s future,” she said.

Without having all the details and information, several council members are hesitant to make a final decision until all details are worked out.

“While I truly believe the City of Cranston, and our citizens need and deserve a Community Center. As a Council, we will need to

 do our due diligence and not jump to conclusions. It’s better to hear all the facts and make a choice to move forward on the best path that puts Cranston and it’s residents first.” said Chris Paplauskas Ward 5 Council person.

Echoing Paplauskas’ concerns over information, Ward 2 Council person, Aniece Germaine is looking for answers.

“I don’t know the pros and cons of not considering the Park Theater. That being said, I put this topic for communication for Monday’s (November 27, 2023, full Council meeting. I haven’t been given the opportunity to hear the narratives. I like to see real evidence not opinions based on personal grudges between people. I believe the Park Theater offers great opportunities for Cranston East High School Students and the community at large,” she said.

While there are still many details that are unknown, and a lot of research still needed to do be done on this issue, Brady does have the support of some Council members.

“I don’t have all the facts right now but from the face of it it looks like a great deal for the city. Let me start out by saying I hear a lot of talk about this being a bail out for Mr. Brady. This has nothing to do with bailing out Mr. Brady this is strictly a business deal that will benefit the city and it’s people. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. There is a Grant available to purchase or build a community center. There are three possible choices. First build a new one on the Grant Ave. field in Knightsville. There is no way a new community center can be built for the close to seven million available. Next, would be the old Arlington Elementary school. This will not work for two reasons. First, the cost of refurbishing it would far exceed the monies available and it also will not be finished by the deadline laid of in the grant. That leaves the Park Theater. It fits the bill perfectly. It’s located across from Cranston East and City Hall. It’s in beautiful condition being restored not that many years ago. The repairs needed should fall short of the money available,” said Ward 4 Councilman, Richard Campopiano.

Looking down the line, Campopiano sees multiple uses for the building.

“This has all the earmarks of a wonderful addition to our city. Programs that would be run there would be funded through CCAP at no cost to the city. Looking further down the road, after five years the city can use the space as offices. I envision an office of constituent affairs’ where citizens can come to work out issues. I also see an office for both tax payments and maybe one for building permits. The possibilities are endless. After 15 years the city can sell it. Like I said at the beginning it’s strictly a business opportunity. Other cities throughout the state have been promoting arts, film, education and innovation for our future generations. We should do the same,” he said.

Brady has a sense of frustration that many of the current problems facing the Park could have been avoided or addressed much earlier.

“During/after Covid, Ninety seven percent of responding theaters nationwide applied for and received at least one form of federal relief funds from initiatives such as the Paycheck Protection Program, Employee Retention Tax Credits, CARES Act, Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, American Rescue Plan, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.

As we know because of the transfer of ownership coming out of the pandemic when the team at The Park embarked on this mission the Theatre in Cranston was not eligible for any of these opportunities,” Brady said.